Soul of a Blue Rose
by BanannaSammich
Summary: A hopeless romantic fresh out of college has known nothing outside of the two cities her life has revolved around. Itching for an adventure, she runs away from home to Houston, Texas, where she gets a job at a local bar. Its here she encounters one of the regulars, who just so happens to be the man of her dreams.
1. Chapter 1

*rises from the fog* Thought I was dead, huh? Heh, not really. I've been around. Just really quiet. A few years back Regal kind of fell out of the "eternal muse" position and everything I tried to write as far as that re-write I kept talking about for Reaching Towards a Reality...just wasn't working. I had hit an all time writing slump. I would dabble in a really short scene here or there, but not enough for a coherent story. Then I became single again. And found comfort in a new muse: Professional Wrestling. The Undertaker to be exact. Because that man is goddamn sexy I tell you. Everything about him is wonderful. Sure, we can say I've been living under a rock since he's been wrestling for years before I was even born, but stuff happens, okay? _ Stuff happens.

Anyway, since he's been my muse, I've been writing a ton. This is a small bit of the random stories I've been writing. Its inspired by an author on here whose work I love love love love love love love! Their name is Takersgurl35 and they have a boat load of love stories between Mark Calaway aka The Undertaker and a female lead character that changes with each story. But they are all great and if you're into those kind of stories I'd suggest you'd take a look see.

I'm not making promises on if I will continue the two chapters I'm about to post. Tried doing that for Reaching Towards a Reality and look where that got me. School tends to burn my attention span and rear its ugly head when I'm the most in the mood to write. Again, no promises, but I'll give it my damnedest.

Mark in this story no way portrays who the real man is. Then again I'm not entirely sure. I would love to get to know the guy but hell we can't always get what we want. This is simply a fictional story. Obviously Mark hasn't retired, yadda yadda yadda. **Begins January 2004.**

Read and Review!

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"Cassie, you wanna get another crate of Budweiser from the back?" Trevor yelled across the room.

The waitress placed the pair of mugs filled to the brim with amber liquid on the table next to her. "Sure thing Trev!" She replied back, taking long strides to the storage room. She smiled when she found the right crate, taking a deep breath before lifting it in her arms. Heavy lifting was one of her favorite things to do around the bar. Made her feel a little more empowered. Things may have been different now but she remembered how rough a start she had working here at "Trev's", a local bar in Houston Texas.

She came in looking for a job, timid and nervous as hell. He had taken her as such, leaving her to waitress and that was it. Treating her as a delicate little flower of some sort. Wasn't much her style though, she was a tomboy through and through. Slowly she and Trevor warmed up to each other, the latter having advantage with an ability to read people. He caught onto her true personality, and did his best to suit her needs working here. So he gave Cassie jobs he wouldn't usually dare to have a woman do and straightened out the excessively sexist "neanderthals" as he liked to call them, that tried to get fresh with her. Sooner or later most of the men around the bar treated Cassie like their own mother. Hell, after a month of working here, its what she damn well felt like. The bar had a homey feel to it she couldn't shake. And she loved the excess testosterone. She grew up with only brothers, and as a result had a better time laughing and joking with men then most feminine women. And they could all be super protective, which she didn't mind from time to time. The bar was like her home away from home.

"Thanks Cassie." he said smiling at her as she set the crate down.

She grinned at him. "No problem." She looked over at two large men in the corner and frowned. "I think Jason and Bill are getting into it again."

Trevor shook his head. "Christ, I'm gonna ban those two from this place one of these days."

Cassie smiled as she watched Trevor make his way to the two disgruntled men. He was well built, just not as tall or bulky as half the guys that drank here. But he still had a way with them without having to get in a scuffle. Shaking her head she started putting glasses away. Hopefully he wouldn't get a black eye. An hour later she heard the front door open. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw who was standing there.

He was wearing a black sleeveless shirt, blue jeans and leather boots. A dark blue bandana was wrapped around his head, his short auburn hair spiking out from the top. Black shades hid his eyes. Tattoos decorated his massive arms. His long legs covered the distance from the door to the bar easily. With his height he would practically towered over Cassie, if the counter didn't stand between them. Slowly he sat down on a stool, it creaking slightly under his weight. Mark Calaway was a lot bigger in person. Cassie knew that pretty well, but actually seeing him in person was a whole new experience.

Cassie cursed at herself to get her hormones under control. He'd been in here plenty of times before when she worked. He usually stayed in the back corner of the bar though, where Trevor attended to him. Didn't like to talk to anyone much, Trevor would say. Said he was kind of a pig too, so he made a point for her to not approach him. She couldn't help but wonder what he was doing here at the counter tonight.

"Taker," She mumbled quietly, giving him a curt nod and placing a bottle of beer in front of him. He always had the same thing when he came here. She was just that obsessive to remember. Cassie was very obsessive when it came to things to know about the Undertaker, a professional wrestler. Not only that, but her favorite professional wrestler. She only had the impulse to watch so long as Taker would be fighting that night. He was simply amazing to observe, being as big as he was and watch him fly off or over the top rope. There was also something so satisfying about watching him deliver a big boot to his opponents faces. Unfortunately, he was buried alive by his brother Kane, and no one had seen him since. Whenever he came in to the bar she wanted nothing more than to rush over to him and bombard him about questions regarding his work and get to know him more. But Trevor strongly recommended against it. That, and she had enough sense not to gush over a celebrity. She'd rather he not have a negative impression of her.

Mark's olive green eyes slowly drifted up to her. This had to be the first time she had ever engaged him. He was surprised to find her as the type to recognize him, let alone watch wrestling. A girl with her looks had to have more important priorities. "Listen here, little girl. Don't call me that here, alright?" His voice was far from menacing, but wielded an underlying warning tone to it.

Cassie's face turned beet red, eyes shooting down to focus on the glass. "S-sorry sir." Her response sounded so adolescent. How old was this girl, he wondered.

A frown marred his face as he took a long pull of his beer. Sir was no better. Made him feel old. But he wasn't in the mood to correct her. Hell he wasn't in much of a mood to talk to anyone tonight. His recent lay he had been seeing decided she wanted something more serious. That wasn't his way as of recently, so he broke it off. The whole ordeal made him sick to his stomach. It brought back unwanted memories of his still fresh divorce with Tracy, wife number three. Being retired on top of it gave him way too much free time. Much of it was spent drinking himself nearly to death here at his favorite bar.

Didn't change the fact that he didn't know the waitress very well. He was pretty sure Trevor said she started a month ago. The days for Mark just kind of blurred together half the time, so at some point she just suddenly appeared. Didn't make the least bit of difference to him. Nothing wrong with a nice piece of ass to stare at while getting drunk as a skunk. Mark took another long pull of his beer, his eyes inconspicuously following her.

Noting his bottle was empty, Cassie got him another beer. Well damn he thought, this woman was a keeper. "Rather I call you Mark then?" Her eyes avoided his as she moved around behind the bar. She had some cahones, talking to him like that. There was a slight defiance in her voice he picked up on.

Mark grunted in response. "That works just fine. Do me a favor and pour me a Jack Daniel's too, little girl."

No words were said as she pulled out the small glass and the alcohol, pouring him a shot. Smart woman, he thought. Last thing he needed tonight was to be butting heads with a little girl like her. Though he couldn't for the life of him think of her name. Pretty sure it started with an M…or was it a C?

Mark shrugged to himself as he owned the shot in one go. The waitress watched him with one eyebrow raised, curious as to what he had been thinking about. His mental processes were etched pretty clearly across his face, she just wasn't sure as to what those thoughts were. Unhappy was the one emotion she could pick out glistening in his now slightly intoxicated gaze. Maybe he was having woman troubles. Seemed like the type. "Another." his deep voice rumbled out of him.

She stared at him a moment before doing so. What harm could it do him, she figured. He's massive. Probably takes alcohol like a champ.

Another hour and a half passed, as well as five more shots of jack for Mark. His head was resting on the bar now, with arms folded around it to shield his face. Cassie shook her head at him as she cleaned glasses.

"Cassie!" Trevor called out to the woman behind the bar. He was standing on the dinky raised stage they had. "Come on up here and sing us a little something, will ya?" He heard her singing sometimes when she would close up for the night. He loved her voice and he knew the guys would love it too.

Cassie had gone beet red in the face. "N-naw man, I'm good. Thanks though." She hollered back playfully. She was met with a stray hoot or shout from the crowd egging her onto the stage.

"Aw, come on Cass!" Everyone in the bar started cheering her on, wanting to hear her sing.

A minute or two passed before she caved, putting down the glass she had been drying. She took long strides to the stage, climbing up to the microphone.

"What are ya gonna sing for us?" Trevor asked quickly as he adjusted the stand for her height. She stood for a moment, contemplating what she could sing that they would like. She wasn't a natural born country girl, but she had started listening to it in her last couple of years in college and only knew a few songs. There might be one she could use, she thought, her eyes drifting to Mark's hunched body. It was a little sad, but it would have to do. Quickly she bent and whispered in Trevor's ear, making him smile softly as he passed the request onto Steve playing the guitar.

Cassie turned to the audience, her legs shaking nervously. Her face was boiling hot in a near permanent blush. These guys might have been like family, but it didn't matter how close she was to anyone; performing always made her nervous. "Hey everybody. Feeling a bit somber tonight, so here's a personal favorite of mine. Here's to those who've loved and lost." With a nod to Steve the quiet music began to play.

 _"She put him out,_  
 _like the burning end of a midnight cigarette._  
 _She broke his heart,_  
 _he spent his whole life trying to forget."_

She was met with a light roar in support when the crowd recognized the song.

Mark raised his head at the voice. He had pushed himself into enough of a drunken stupor that he had tuned out everything going on. He hadn't noticed the waitress climb on stage and start singing. She wore dark brown leather boots, faded blue jeans that hugged her lower torso in all the right places, a white tank top and forest green flannel shirt with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows that was a size too big for her, falling way past her bottom. Its color accentuated her green eyes. Light brown roots started to show, fading into her golden hair was long and feathered, framing her round face. She was breath taking, he had to admit. Quietly Mark watched her, soaking in the sadness her words spoke to him.

 _"We watched him drink his pain away a little at a time,_  
 _But he could never get drunk enough to get her off his mind._  
 _Until the night,"_

The woman had a set of pipes on her, he gave her that. A bit shaky, but he couldn't blame her. She was probably nervous. Mark cursed at himself for the inability to remember her name.

He watched her take a deep breath and close her eyes. About to continue, she opened her eyes again, her gaze connecting directly with his. He could feel his heart thumping fast against his ribcage. Her eyes were a deep mossy green, sparkling with a sadness that reflected from the stage lights. Her stare made his breath catch in his throat.

 _"He put the bottle to his head, and pulled the trigger._  
 _And finally drank away her memory._  
 _Life is short, but this time it was bigger_  
 _than the strength he had to get up off his knees."_

Mark couldn't recall hearing a more beautiful voice. Getting past her nerves, she belted out with a little more oomph, turning her voice soft and angelic. Raw emotion poured out of her voice. She sounded so sad, and it killed him wondering why. A stray tear had escaped from her eyes.

 _"We found him with his face down in the pillow,_  
 _with a note that said 'I'll love her till I die'_  
 _and when we buried him beneath the willow,_  
 _the angels sang a whiskey lullaby."_

Her brow knitted in concentration as she continued to sing the song. Each note was slow and melodic, singing a sad tune only for him. Mark managed to tune out everything around the two of them, watching her intently. He could feel his heart breaking at the remorse in her voice.

Trevor, who had taken over the bar, caught a glimpse of the emotion Mark was letting show on his face. He was a regular around here, and always made sure to appear as a stone-faced neanderthal who didn't give a rats ass about anybody or anything. After retiring from wrestling he had gotten a real sour attitude, but blessed the bar with his lack of tongue…unless he was excessively drunk some night. Trev knew there had to be something more behind the man, and this moment right here proved it. Course, he was intoxicated, but that didn't make too much of a difference, right? His gaze wandered over to Cass, pondering how he could get these two to get together. They seemed like they could use each other's company badly. 

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Song is Whiskey Lullaby by Brad Paisley and Alison Krauss


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2. This one is significantly longer than the first. A part of me just wanted to smoosh both together into a single chapter because I usually like to publish chapters by days in the story...but I don't really know what I was thinking. Either way, enjoy!

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A few hours had passed, it was about time for the bar to close. Trevor straightened up and dusted off his hands. "Alright y'all, you don't have to go home but you can't stay here! Time to close up!" A small smile pulled at his lips at the sound of the growls and complaints from the patrons. Slowly but surely though, they all filed out, leaving him and Cassandra to clean up the bar. On second thought, Trevor mused, maybe they weren't quite alone yet, as his gaze found the body crashed on the couch across the room. The big man was out like a light, his large frame dwarfing the furniture he layed on.

Maybe, Trevor thought, maybe this wouldn't be so hard after all. He looked over to the woman in the far corner of the room. "Cass?"

Said woman shot straight up. "Yep?" Trevor smirked at her eager work ethic.

"Would you mind giving Mark a lift home?" He nodded to the sleeping giant on the couch. "He knows the drill; he can come right back in the morning to pick up his truck."

Cassandra gave sleepy intoxicated Mark a hesitant look. She bit her lip nervously. "Uh…"

Trevor laughed casually. "He ain't the deadman no more, Cass. He's not gonna bite ya. Contrary to popular belief he can be quite cooperative when drunk. Just don't let him flirt with ya, cuz then you might not get out of his spell. And being with him can be kinda dangerous."

"I like to think he's a bit too old for me…" She muttered quietly. He could tell she was blushing in the dim lighting.

"Ha! That's what they all say." Taking long strides he laid a hand on the shoulder of the giant, shaking him. "Get up ya big oaf."

Mark stirred slightly. "Shit Trev...lemme sleep." He mumbled sleepily. The man seemed strangely coherent for being so drunk, Cassie thought quietly.

"Mark, ya know I can't let you sleep here." Trevor laughed shaking his head. "Get up, Cassie is gonna give you a lift home."

The big man grunted sharply, his joints popping and cracking as he stretched out of his position on the couch. "I ain't letting no little girl take me home. I can get home just fine."

Trevor frowned, staring at the man with his hands on his hips. "Mark I know you did not just say that. You know better. Now you're gonna let Cassie drive you home. No ifs, ands, or buts about it."

Mark sat up running his hands through his short auburn hair. His half-lidded olive green eyes met Cassandra's in a tired stare. Something about his gaze made her heart skip a beat. He looked so exhausted, so vulnerable. It was a stark contrast to the always intimidating Undertaker she used to know and love. "Well little girl lets get a move on." He stood, groaning in protest to his aching body.

"She's got a name, Mark." Trevor bit out as he collected glasses off of the tables. Cass' gaze fell to the floor, unwilling to say anything to the big man. Rifling through her pockets for her keys, she motioned for him to follow her out. "You be nice to her now big man!" Trevor's voice faded as the two stepped into the warm Texas air.

Cassie swallowed hard, feeling Mark's towering presence behind her. He was grumbling quietly at her employer inside. She opened the driver side door, climbing in her black saturn ion and unlocking the passenger door. She couldn't bring herself to look at him, finding more interest in the hole in the left knee of her jeans. At the rough clearing of his throat did she finally raise her gaze. It took everything in her power not to grin at the sight before her.

All six feet and ten inches of pure muscle that was Mark Calaway was carefully folded into the passenger seat. She knew there already wasn't much for leg room in her small car, but his large body practically filled the capacity of the cab, intruding on her personal space as well. Their shoulders brushed together against their will. His knees met the bottom of his rib cage as he shifted uncomfortably. "Little girl, what are you doing in Texas with a little ass car?"

Breathing was becoming ever more difficult for Cassie as she turned the key in the ignition. The thought crossed her mind to say she didn't make a habit of driving home football player-sized men every night, but she held her tongue. "I…bought it off my brother. Fixed it up so I could move down here." Her voice was barely a whisper.

He raised an eyebrow in her direction. "Where are you from?"

They pulled up to the street. "I'm gonna need some directions to your house."

He pointed a large finger to the left. "That way. I'll tell you when to turn. Where are you from?" The same inflections were used in his voice as he repeated his question.

She was silent for a moment before saying a word. Her brow was knitted in concentration as she focused her gaze on the road. "Minnesota."

Mark felt a twinge of surprise swell up in his chest at the knowledge. Country girl from the frozen pines, huh? "Got too cold up there for you?" He rumbled teasingly.

It was too dark for him to notice her rolling her eyes, but she said nothing else.

"Lighten up kid." Mark nudged her in the side, pointing out the rest of the way to his home. Cassie hadn't spoken another word the whole way, aside from a grunt or a quick yes or a no. As they pulled into his long drive, Cassie stared at the house in awe. Being a man with his kind of wealth she wasn't quite sure what to expect. Hell she half expected to see a damn bright white stucco sided villa sticking out in the country like a sore thumb. She shook her head, forgetting how private the man was. Smart thing would be to not draw too much attention to himself.

The house was large, she gave him that. It was a two story home, the first floor stretching the most expanse of the land it sat upon. the siding was a beautiful mixture of logs and assorted stones. An enormous garage sat on the side of the home, she guessed it could fit ten cars. Probably where he stored his bikes, she thought.

Immediately she snapped out of her thoughts, pulling the car to a stop and turning it off. She got out of the car, taking long quick strides to his side and opening the passenger door.

"Little girl," Mark muttered, shooting a quizzical glance at her. "What do you think you're doing, opening a car door for me?"

Cassie gave him a deadpan stare, a small curve pulling at her lips. So he _was_ one of those bossy, 'I'm the man' types, huh? The fan fictions she used to read in college weren't too far off after all. "Being polite sir." She smirked, deciding to have a little fun. "Us Minnesoatins wir bred fram birth too be the nicest, most polite, ya know? They don't call it Minneesoatah nice for nootin." She made her comment in the thickest "Minnesotan" accent she could muster. She burst out laughing when he stopped moving suddenly and gave her a strange look. "What do you think, sound pretty authentic?" she spoke sarcastically, her deep voice going back to normal. Reality was that there wasn't a single human from Minnesota she knew that sounded like that.

"I'd say so." He grumbled as he stumbled his way out of the car. Mark straightened up to his full height, towering over her like a shadow. His olive eyes pierced her gaze in the darkness. Cassie thanked god it was too dark for him to see her blush. "Ya gonna stand there all night blushing at me, little girl?" Or she was wrong. Her eyes shot to the front door, in a meager attempt to hide from his gaze. If she couldn't see him, then he couldn't see her.

"You gonna need help getting inside?"

Mark rolled his stiff neck, a deep sigh escaping his lips. "Naw little one, I think I can manage." He started over to the front door, pulling his house key from his pocket. Cassie couldn't help but notice the more prominent limp in his strides as he walked away. Did he have that all day?

"You're limping." She spoke so matter of factly.

Mark spoke in the exact same tone, never turning around to her. "Left knee is fucked up. There's a reason I was buried alive back in November."

She quirked an eyebrow at him, determined to continue the conversation even with the ever growing distance between them. "Were you gonna go back?"

"That was the plan," he spoke in a huff. She had almost forgotten he was drunk until he stumbled significantly trying to climb up the porch. Cassie ran up to his side, propping him up. He met her kind gesture with no gratitude, stumbling up the stone steps to the door with her under his arm. There was a large wooden deck on the front of the house she forgot to notice. The front door itself was huge, she guessed to accommodate his height. Maybe everything in his house was super tall... "Vince wanted me to come back earlier than the doctors ordered…my personal ones, not the company docs. We got into some shit about it. I decided I didn't want to go back just to mess up my body any more than I already have. Wasn't worth it anymore."

"So you retired." she watched him slide the key into the lock and push the door open.

Mark nodded as he walked inside. He paused, turning to look at her still standing on the porch. There was something beautiful about the way the hanging light gleamed on her features. Her golden hair sparkled in the lamp. Her eyes were wide and full of a certain innocence that tugged at his heartstrings. "Did you want some coffee or something before you go?" He bit back the smirk pulling at his face when he saw her blush. She must have been so intimidated by him. "I ain't gonna bite."

She laughed quietly, her eyes glued to the floor. "Yeah, Trev said that too. I'd hate to impose on you though, Mark."

His long arm reached out to grab her wrist gently. "Nonsense little girl. I could use a cup myself. C'mon in." He led her inside, closing the door behind her.

"You're strangely coherent when you're inebriated, you know that?"

Mark replied with a laugh. "Only when I want to be. Its a light buzz now anyway. In truth I probably would have been okay driving home." Cassie followed him into the high ceiling kitchen. It looked strangely contemporary and at the same time rustic. The walls were done in a forest green. She plopped herself down on a tall chair that sat at the edge of the marble countered bar while he started coffee.

He leaned on the countertop, his weight shifted onto his forearms with his face in close proximity to hers. Cassie leaned away visibly, clearly uncomfortable. Though she didn't let it show on her face. "So whats a little girl like you doing moving such a long way?"

She quirked an eyebrow at him. "Is this my new pet name or something?"

Mark gave her a sly grin. "Not to offend you or anything, but I like the way it sounds on you. Very fitting." The only thought registering through Cassie's mind was the idea that Mark Calaway was outright flirting with her. He was, wasn't he? She was unsure. When it came to affairs of the heart, she could be pretty damn oblivious. She decided against prodding him about it. Besides, secretly she liked the name too. Made her feel important to him.

"I'm not all that little, though." She grinned. She was five nine, not necessarily short but she didn't consider it excessively tall. "I'm fairly average height for someone from the north. My brothers are around my height."

He leaned in a little closer, whispering. "You're little to me."

Cassie could feel her face burn a crimson red. Something she always appreciated in a guy was him being taller than her. Yeah, she was tall, but she loved to feel small, secure, safe in the arms of a man. The only guys she dated were just about her height.

Mark stepped away to pour two cups of coffee, putting some breathing room between them. "You still didn't answer my question." He stated as he placed a cup before her.

Right, she forgot. "Tell me something first. Why does a guy like you give a rat's ass about me?"

He took a long sip of his coffee. He liked it black. Shit, she probably shouldn't count on there being creamer of any sort here. Flavored creamer was like liquid gold to her. Cassie lifted her cup as well, taking a sip. She grimaced at the taste.

Mark chuckled as he watched her reaction. "Not a coffee girl, huh?"

"I don't usually take it black." She smacked her lips, trying to get the taste to leave her mouth.

He laughed again, walking to the fridge and pulling out a bottle of french vanilla creamer. "Shit girl, you should have said so." He placed it on the counter in front of her. "Ex-wife didn't care for it much black either."

Cassie blinked, taking the bottle happily and splashing some in her drink, turning it a light tan. "Thank you Mark."

He nodded at her. "Now, if I can answer _your_ question with a question, what do you mean a guy like me?"

A barely suppressed laugh came from her lips. "Well…a guy of your social status. Practically a celebrity. To you I'm just a normal female. A fan, no less."

Mark straightened, his gaze more directed down at her. A frown graced his features. "Typical." He muttered.

Blood suddenly ran cold in her veins. What did she say? "What?"

His gaze was more of a judging glare at her. "You only see my money. You only see the Undertaker. Well I have some news for you little girl. I'm not the Undertaker any more. I'm just Mark. A guy who spends his evenings drinking himself to death and works on bikes for a living. Just a normal guy." His voice was dark, but calm. It was unnerving.

Cassie let out a shuddered breath she didn't know she had been holding. Her heart was racing, but out of fear. This man scared the shit out of her. She kept her gaze on her folded hands, unable to look him in the eye. But her voice was still shaky. "I-I don't see the money. I've never seen the money. I don't give a shit that you are or were famous. That wasn't what I meant at all. Its just…" She let out another shuddered breath. "…I respect you a lot, okay? I hold you in the highest regard that I've ever held any human being in my life. No joke. Compared to you…I don't amount to much. Which makes me wonder why a normal human like me matter at all to you."

Mark watched her quietly for a bit, taking another sip of his coffee. She respected him, huh?

"You assuming that much of me is a little rude, actually." Her voice got slightly louder. She crossed her arms, leaning back in her chair as she closed her eyes, slightly annoyed. "I might know about who you are…or used to be. But in reality it just sparks my curiosity more about what kind of man you really are on the inside."

He found himself admittedly caught off guard. Cassie wanted to know more about him. Most women he usually stumbled across were just as he described: Saw him as the Undertaker, wanted his money, his body. For the longest time he was more than fine with it. So long as there was good sex involved, he didn't give two shits about the flaws in his relationships. But after his second wife he started shooting for a more serious relationship with a woman he could enjoy spending time with outside of the bed as well as in. Tracy seemed like exactly what he was looking for…until they finally got married. After that she just wanted to spend his money and was willing to submit to him in bed when he wanted. Just to make him happy, he assumed. God, was he an idiot. They divorced, but he made sure she didn't get a dime. He was sick of that shit.

Mark leaned forward against the counter once more. "Don't get your panties in a bunch, Cassie. I'm sorry, okay? I've just had a bad track record with women. It was wrong of me to lump you in with the lot of them."

Cassie had opened her eyes at the sound of her name. She knew enough to know people were being serious when they called you by your name, rather than their nickname for you. She looked into his eyes, into the vibrant olive green oceans. They stared at her sadly, somberly. He really was sorry. Slowly she lifted the mug to her lips, taking a big gulp of her coffee. "I was living with my parents for a few months after I got my bachelors. Working on gathering money to pay student debt, you know the drill." her eyes followed the mug back to the counter. Mark took note of her constant unwillingness to make eye contact when she spoke. He wondered if it even had to do with being shy. She didn't seem all that shy. "The town we lived in was probably twenty-five thousand people big. Decent size, but still really small. Not much to do in it until you're old enough to drink. And even then…bars were boring as hell, filled with a bunch of old geezers reminiscing about the old days."

Mark took a sip of his coffee, listening intently.

"I was working freelance in graphic design and volunteering at the local animal shelter. I love dogs…" A smile spread across her face. "When I wasn't doing either I would be sitting at home writing. I dabble a bit in creative writing. I would spend whole days cooped up in my room. Then my parents would get home for the day and the dogs we had would get super loud, and my mom would insistently talk to me…I love my mom to bits. Don't get me wrong. But there's just a certain time in the day where I just don't feel like talking to anybody. And it would usually be later in the evening. A few months of that started to drive me crazy." Her shoulders rose and fell in a shrug. "So I left. My brother had sold me his old car a couple weeks before, and I was working on fixing it up. One day I just thought, I need to get the hell out of here. So I did. The next thing I know I'm falling out of my daze and I'm in Texas. Houston to be to exact. So I used what money I had to get myself a small place. And then I got the job at the bar. And that's all I have to say about that."

"Does your family know you're down here?" He stared quietly at Cassie, trying to gauge her emotions.

She shook her head. "I left a note saying I'd be back in a while, and not to call. Didn't say where I'd go, just that they didn't need to worry, cause I'd be back eventually. I just needed to get away from everyone I knew. They only helped inhibit my introverted, lazy personality. I wanted to reinvent myself. I wanted to know what it would be like to live completely on my own for once. To know what it was like…to in a way, have only myself to rely on."

"You realize how dangerous that is? What if something happened to you and you couldn't go back even if you wanted to?" Mark could feel a twinge of pain as well as worry for her. She was reckless thats what she was.

Cassie looked up into his eyes, showing him how serious she was about her next comment. "Well I wouldn't know unless I tried. Life is about living a little. If something did happen to me, well then, maybe it was how I was supposed to go. At least I could say I did _something_ with my life." She chuckled darkly, eyes falling to her hands again. "Its something I used to tell my parents…they babied me a lot, you know? Kinda sheltered me from the world. They always treated me differently from my brothers. I didn't like it. If I was going out to do something, I used to tell them: I'll always come back to you. It might be alive and well, or in a body bag, but no matter what happens to me, I'll come back to you."

Mark eyed her curiously. That was a very concerning thing to say. He knew that wouldn't be something he liked to hear coming from his little girl. This girl seemed flat out desensitized to danger. That was rather worrisome.

Cassie peeked up to gauge his reaction. Mark didn't say a word, but the look he was giving her told her enough. She had scared him off. Putting her mug down, she stood from her chair. "I'm sorry…I've probably said too much, huh? Didn't mean to weird you out." She turned around. "I should probably get home anyway. Thanks for the coffee."

"Cassie." his voice was a deep rumble that shook her spine. She stopped and looked at him.

After what she told him…he didn't have half a mind to let her go home on her own. What if something did happen to her? Worry pained his chest as he stared at her. At the same time he had seen the hurt in her eyes. She thought he judged her for her "lease on life". While he didn't agree with it, it didn't change how he thought about her. She was just a beautiful young woman standing in his kitchen who worked at his favorite bar. After what he heard…he knew this wasn't lust for her he was feeling inside. Maybe partially, but not entirely. Mark wasn't quite sure what it was he was feeling inside for her. He just knew it was good. "I'd feel more comfortable if you stayed here for the night." he said so matter of factly as he placed the empty mugs in the sink.

Her eyes went wide. Did he just invite her to stay at his home? She figured most of humanity would kill for this prospect. This thought she quickly shook from her head. That was seeing him as the Undertaker…what he didn't want. And neither did she. She shook her head at him. "Mark, don't worry about me. Its people babying me that practically drove me from home in the first place, remember? I'm gonna go home, go to bed, and I'll see you at Trev's tomorrow, yeah?"

Mark was silent, but he nodded. He couldn't swallow the worry he felt inside. Slowly he followed her to his front door.

"Again, thanks for the coffee…and letting me talk to you." She smiled at him. The sight of this one in particular made his heart swell happily. At the same time the worry ate at him.

He nodded at her. "Be safe, okay?" the quiet mumble left his lips. He couldn't force her to stay…as much as he would have liked her to. He wasn't obligated to keep her here. Cassie bit back a laugh, it sounded like he was pouting.

She smiled at him once more before leaving through the door. "I will. I promise. I'll see you tomorrow Mark." The fact that she wasn't worried about anything worried him greatly.

Mark closed the door, his hands sliding down the surface tiredly. He doubted sleep would come easily tonight. Walking towards his room, he silently prayed she made it home in one piece.


	3. Chapter 3

Mark was spot on about not getting a wink of sleep. He tossed and turned most of the night, at one point he just decided to go for a ride on his bike to clear his head. Cassie said she was gonna be fine, but he still couldn't keep the worry out of his stomach. It was almost starting to piss him off. The little girl had him about as wound up as a mother hen. "C'mon big guy," he muttered as he mounted his bike. "She's an adult. She can take care of herself. She's making you soft." He pulled out onto the road, with no solid idea where he was off to. Large open fields flew past before he was reaching into more wooded terrain. He remembered an overpass he used to go to with a magnificent view and decided it would be his destination. Mark followed a path that continued to incline until he came to a dead end at a hilltop. It was crowned by trees that left a small opening showing such a wonderful view of a lake. The sun was beginning to rise. A smile pulled at his lips. Cassie would like this.

Quick as a wink the smile left his face. Damn, he thought, even a ride couldn't help him. That little girl wouldn't leave his head.

Mark sat around admiring the scenery a while longer before heading back, where he figured he could pop by Trev's quick before work and see if Cassie was in. Just to quell his unsettled mind.

He pulled into the parking lot, cursing at himself. Mark had forgotten about his truck that was left behind. He'd have to get it after work, he thought. Maybe he could convince Cassie to follow him home and give her a lift later. He popped in through the front door, dread filling his stomach at the empty bar. Mark glanced at his watch. Seven in the morning. Trev's was usually open this early, they served cheap but great breakfast here. "Cass?" his voice rumbled quietly, but echoed in the empty space.

A sudden loud bang sounded from behind the bar. "Ah! Son of a bitch..." her voice howled across the room. Suddenly she popped up clutching her head, making Mark feel like a real ass. "Hey Mark…" she sounded significantly calmer than moments before. Was she smiling? He blinked. Yeah, she was smiling. A big grin was plastered on her face.

"Didn't mean to scare ya…are you okay little girl?" He scratched the back of his head sheepishly as he made his way over to her.

A laugh escaped her lips. "Yep, I'm good. That's gonna leave a bit of a bump…" her voice faded into a groan.

Mark bit his lip. "Sorry…"

"Mark it's fine." Cassie smiled at him. There was something about the way she smiled that he loved. She looked so beautiful when she smiled. It was like there was a door that remained closed all day, closing her off from the world and would only open when she smiled. Like he was seeing a completely different person. His eyes drifted casually to her arm.

It was then he noticed the splash of color on her arm. She had a tattoo? How long had that been there? His large hand rose to grasp her arm gently as he took a closer look at the art that decorated it. There was a blue rose in the center, with a serpent-like dragon donning a strange mask and fiery mane curling behind it an s-shape. Two koi fish sat on opposite sides of the rose, both pointed towards the flower in another s-shape mirroring the dragon, one fish orange and one green. When he squinted hard Mark could see in the center of the rose sat a small Undertaker symbol. "Nice ink." he mumbled in obvious interest.

He could feel the heat radiating off her warm skin, he chanced a peek at her face to see what he already guessed. She was blushing hard. "Thanks…" Cassie whispered. She couldn't meet his gaze for a good while. Judging by her reaction he could tell there was some prominent meaning behind the ink that graced her limb. Mark made a note to inquire about it later, figuring she wasn't up for talking about it right now.

As if a switch had flipped in her mind, she shook herself out of her thoughts. "What brings you here? Come to get your truck?" She could feel her face burn a dark shade of red with the way his gaze locked on her. He wondered if over blushing could cause one's face to spontaneously combust.

Mark shook his head. "Have to head to work. I'll be back to pick it up later."

Cassie didn't say a word, only eyed him curiously. He could see the implied question in her eyes.

"Just wanted to make sure you were okay, darlin." There was some emotion in his eyes she couldn't quite read.

She stared at him slightly surprised. "You were still worried about me?"

Finally it was his turn to blush. Cassie watched the rare sight with wide eyes. Mark's eyes darted to the side. "Why wouldn't I be?…" the words fell from his mouth in a low grumble, fading into lingered silence.

She leaned towards him, a small smile spreading across her face. "Since when did the American Badass become such a softie?" Cassie teased him lightly, only hoping he'd humor her and flirt back. She couldn't deny the affection for this man that always lingered in her heart since she first watched him wrestle.

Mark's male ego brushed past it completely though, as his brow crumpled in frustration. She was right. This little girl was making him soft. This wasn't like him. Wasn't like him at all. And he wasn't sure if he liked it.

His eyes fell down to the floor. Mark knew damn well what was coming over him now. He was starting to like this little girl. No way in hell that was going to happen. After Tracy he had sworn to himself he wasn't going to get caught up in caring for another woman so long as he lived. Abruptly he turned on his heel, stoically striding his way out of the bar without a word. It was then Mark made his decision. He needed to avoid Cassie. He wasn't gonna let some woman turn him soft.

The fresh warm air of the outdoors brushed his face, clearing his head a little. He would have to come back later for his truck, but damned if he was gonna let that little girl near him again. He figured he could load up his bike in the truck bed and hustle home. But he made sure he was gonna get shit-faced drunk before he had to look at her again.


	4. Chapter 4

Trevor kept stealing glances at Cassie all night, wondering what had come over her. She had galloped into work this morning like a spry pup, happier than he'd ever seen her. She had told him about the drive to Mark's house and how they talked over coffee. But Trevor stepped out for a quick smoke and when he came back she had gone into her quiet brooding mode. He'd only witnessed this side of her a few times in her working here. It only happened when she was thinking hard about something and her face would contort into an expression of anger. She would tell him that half the time she wasn't even angry, it was just how her face looked when she was thinking. What was she thinking about though?

"Alright girl, you need to talk to me." He spoke quietly, leaning against the bar towards her. "You were the happiest woman I'd ever seen this morning. What happened?"

Cassie's eyes drifted up to meet his. "I think I offended Mark or something." her voice was quiet and half joking, not even the slightest pang of hurt like he expected to hear.

"Mark was here this morning?" Trevor quirked an eyebrow. Mark usually worked on Thursdays. He knew he had to get his truck but he figured the man would wait till after work. From past experience Trevor knew Mark wasn't much of a morning person. His shop usually opened at noon so what would he have been doing here so damn early?

Cassie nodded. "I asked him if he was here for his truck, and he said he came by to make sure I was okay. He was worried about me going home last night." A deep sigh left her lips. "I was just teasing him…I asked when the 'American Badass' became such a softie. He practically stormed out."

A smirk pulled at Trevor's lips. The big man was indeed getting soft. He could tell last night by the way Mark watched her sing, that he had to feel something for her. Just being stubborn he guessed. "I wouldn't worry about it Cass. Just a case of bruised ego. I'm sure he'll be back and he'll get over it. Remember in reality he is a lot more like his biker gimmick. Needs to be seen as a tough guy."

Cassie's eyes fell to the counter. "I know. But I still feel bad."

Trevor frowned. He was well aware from the first time he'd seen Cassie waltz into the bar looking for a job how important the Undertaker was to her, from her tattoo and the necklace she wore nearly twenty-four seven. As he got to know her though, Trevor realized how much more the real man, Mark, meant to her. She respected him. She was also very hard on herself if she made a mistake or did something wrong. The combination, he suspected, had to be disastrous on her mentality. Lightly Trevor placed his hand on her shoulder. "Cass, believe me, it'll be fine. He's gonna waltz back in here soon and it'll be like nothing happened."

"Okay." she mumbled, still unconvinced by his words. Trevor shook his head and walked away. Girl was a damn stubborn worry wart.

As the night went on he would keep catching Cassie's gaze snap to the front door every time she heard it open. Hell she must be pretty crazy about Mark too. What if this wasn't just about respect? He stared at his employee intently, a smirk climbing on his face. Yeah, these two needed to get together.

Around ten o'clock Mark walked in. Cassie felt her heart rate pick up as her gaze glued to his massive body. The big man didn't even chance a glance at her. Instead he made a direct bee line for his usual back corner booth. Cassie frowned. Like nothing ever happened…yeah right. She was a fool. Cassie shook her head. No matter to her. Trevor was right, he was just suffering from a bruised ego. Well that immature prick could shove it, she grumbled internally.

Trevor watched as Cassie immediately turned away after Mark had sat down. She had disappeared into the back room he suspected to haul out another case of beer. He hoped thats what she was up to, at least. She didn't seem like the type to cry over a guy. He walked over to the small booth that the big man had relaxed into. "Mark." he spoke shortly.

Olive green eyes drifted up to him. Trevor's tone said enough, he probably knew about his run in with Cassie earlier. And he was about ready to chew him out for it. "Beer and a jack, Trev." Mark spoke coldly. He wasn't about to talk to him about this.

Trevor didn't say another word as he went to fetch Mark his drink order.

Against his will Mark's gaze was drawn to Cassie as she drifted around the bar, getting drinks for the other patrons. It was strange how well that internal light switch of hers worked. A near permanent grimace would be on her face, but as soon as you got her talking to one of the guys her whole face would light up. She'd smile and chat with them, and as soon as she turned her back, the grimace would return. Something in the pit of Mark's stomach ached at the thought of her being so unhappy.

Cassie turned, catching Mark staring at her. He tore his eyes from her, biting his lip so hard he managed to draw blood. "Shit!" With a large hand he wiped away the small trickle of blood, observing the substance in his palm.

Mark Calaway, he thought, what the hell are you trying to do to yourself? His eyes bore holes into the table until a bottle was placed on its surface. He looked up to find Trevor frowning at him.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"Drinking." Mark rumbled flatly, picking up the bottle and taking a swig.

Trevor sat down across from him. "Are you really gonna let your fat-headed ego get in the way of getting close to that girl?" his harsh glare did little to sway the large man.

"I don't need no fucking woman to complete me, Trev. I swore off relationships long ago."

"Cassie's different, Mark. She ain't some bimbo or ring rat." The dark haired man leaned back in the seat, arms crossed. "Cassie would be good for ya."

Mark quirked an eyebrow at him. "Who died and made you matchmaker?"

A lull of silence fell between them as he stole a quick glance at the waitress. "What the hell is she so pissed about?" Anger was clearly etched on her face.

Trevor shook his head. "She ain't pissed, Mark. She's upset, yeah. But not angry." He nodded in her direction. "She thinks she offended you by calling you soft. You're making her feel like shit by blowing her off."

"I ain't angry at her, I agree with her. I'm angry at myself." Mark's large fist pounded on the table, drawing a few stares, including Cassie's. "I almost let myself get close to a woman. I'm not supposed to be going soft. I'm the big dog."

Trevor rolled his eyes. "You big bastard. What the hell is so wrong with caring for someone?"

"Ain't nothing wrong with it." Mark lifted his glass of Jack Daniels, staring at it. "Just ain't for me."

Trevor lifted himself from his seat, shaking his head at the man before him. He was being goddamn ridiculous.

A frown marred Mark's face as his gaze discretely went back to Cassie. In truth, he refused to get close because he knew he'd only hurt her. She seemed so sweet and innocent, a big bastard like him with a temper like his could cut her deep.

"Cassie girl, what's say you go for a ride with me after work?" Bill, who Mark considered to be an even bigger bastard, could be heard practically purring at her when she came by with a beer. Mark turned his head at the scene a few tables away.

Being her usual self, Cassie blushed. Blushed! Mark frowned. He didn't like having some other jerk making her red in the face. Well, unless it was red from anger. But he doubted she was gonna pop him one in the mouth right then and there. Instead she gave him a small smile. "Thanks, but I'll pass Bill."

His thick, calloused hand took hold of her soft wrist, prohibiting her escape. "Aw little girl, please? It'll be fun." He tugged her into his lap, wrapping his muscled arms around her. "You know you want to." Mark clenched his fists. Goddamn that Bill, using the nickname _he_ gave her. Anger was boiling in his blood, but he failed to justify the reason why.

Mark had almost missed it. The hint of fear that crossed Cassie's face. Her eyes were wide, silently screaming her discomfort. It sparked an angry fire in Mark's belly. As calmly as he could, he rose from the booth making his way over to the pair.

Cassie wasn't sure what to think. She had never gotten in such close contact with a man as big as Bill. He was one of the few guys that would still make a pass at her every now and then. But he wasn't really her cup of tea. His stares would make her shiver unpleasantly. At the moment she could hear his intentions in his voice, and quite frankly it frightened her. But the way he held her…she hadn't been, well, manhandled in such a way before. But a part of her body actually liked it. Even though she didn't like Bill. Liked it, even though she was slightly terrified.

"I think you need to let her go, Bill." Mark's gruff voice split the silence like a knife. Cassie let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding. Bill craned his head to glare up at the big man. The way he towered over him made the light cast his face in shadow, making him all the more menacing.

"This ain't got anything to do with you big man. Beat it."

Quick as a wink Mark's large hand grappled onto Bill's shoulder. There was malice in his grip, his long fingers digging into his limb like claws. " _Now_ , Bill."

Immediately the man retracted his grip on Cassie who flew out of his lap. "Son of a…" Bill rose out of his seat, throwing a left hook at Mark's head. As if on instinct, the taller man lunged at him, slamming him into their table and busting it flat to the ground. Glass had shattered and men scattered away from the scene as the two guys scuffled on the floor.

"What the hell is going on here?!" Trevor bellowed. For a smaller man he had a loud voice. Came in handy when he needed to keep such big guys in line. He took a hold of Mark's shoulder, yanking as hard as he could. The giant barely budged, but it was enough to get him out of his raged stupor. "Mark cut it out!"

A tension filled silence fell over the bar, that was only broken by small whimpers. Both Trevor and Mark turned to see Cassie sitting on the floor, hugging her knees. Tears welled in her eyes, but dared not to fall. Her eyes were wide with fear. The widest they'd ever seen them.

Mark straightened up, about to work his way over to her when Trevor cut him off, placing a hand on his chest.

He bore holes into him with his deep blue eyes. "Take a walk."


	5. Chapter 5

When Mark finally disappeared outside, Trevor made his way over to Cassie. The rest of the audience had cleared out for the night, a few men helping haul Bill to the emergency room. In the fight he managed to get some broken glass lodged in his skin as well as a few nasty gashes that could use stitching up from the now splintered table. Most of them guessed Mark was probably in the same condition but in case he was still angry no one wanted to deal with him at the moment.

Trev crouched down in front of her, his broad shoulders shielding her view from the mess. Slowly he took her soft hands into his own. They weren't very small and they were thick, but her skin was soft none the less. Cassie wasn't your everyday plastic "thin as a twig" breathtaking blonde that he knew Mark to go after in past years. She was a little on the thicker side; had some real meat on her bones, but hell if she didn't have curves in all the right places. Trevor guessed she didn't like her body much. Every now and then he would catch her grimacing at her breasts, which he had to admit were pretty damn big. But they were perfect proportionally to the rest of her tall body. Hell everything was perfectly proportionate. Her shoulders were stocky and broad, arms plump but naturally sculpted simply from the work she did. She was practically all legs, those she didn't mind too much, since they could get her from one end of the bar to the other in record speed. She was simply beautiful when she smiled. But a genuine smile from her was a rare occurrence. He saw all the fake ones she plastered on her face when she talked to people. As of recently though only him and Mark were able to stir one out of her. It damn near broke his heart to see her so scared. Her whole body was trembling. "Cass?"

Her green eyes followed him when he had approached her, wide with fear. "Is Mark okay?" A calmness was embedded in her voice when she spoke, catching Trevor off guard. He figured calm was a bad thing.

"The big moron does this often enough. He'll be fine. I think the real question is are you okay hun?" His deep blue eyes watched her, filled with worry.

Slowly she nodded, struggling to regain her composure. "Yeah…don't worry Trev. This is just a natural reflex of mine in aggressive situations." The speed at which she spoke had quickened in an attempt to get her words out. The tears that filled her eyes were finally beginning to fall, but her voice was still strangely calm.

A small smile pulled at Trevor's lips at the term. "Natural reflex? I don't quite get what you mean."

He backed up a bit, giving her some space as she stretched her legs out on the floor with a deep sigh. "I have four older brothers. Three of 'em had really bad anger issues. Two of 'em grew out of it quickly, while the other…well it just got worse. He was the youngest of the four, but still seven years older than me. I was pretty young when his hormonal teenage angst started kicking in. He screamed a lot…punched holes in everything too, walls, glass, everything. I'd be sitting there huddled in a blanket crying on the floor, watching it all. My dad used to joke about how he always managed to miss the two by fours in the walls." At the end she let out a strained laugh, trying to find the humor in the situation when there clearly wasn't any. "My brother…was suicidal." Cassie stared a hole into the floor, no emotion filling her face. "There's a kids movie…can't remember the name of it. I can't watch it anymore without thinking about the image he painted in my head. I had been watching it the night it happened..." She was quiet for another couple of minutes before she spoke again. "You know what its like…to watch a family member lay out in the middle of the road, wishing so badly to be run over? To watch your mother do her damnedest to pry them out of the street?"

Mark had been pacing out back for a half hour before his head finally cleared. He wasn't angry at Bill anymore, he was worried about Cassie and how scared she looked. He hoped against hope that he wasn't the one to scare her, but the feeling in the pit of his stomach told him otherwise. Eventually Mark clambered back into the bar. When he heard Cassie's voice he stopped, hiding in the shadows listening to her words. Her story breaking his heart piece by piece.

Trevor had moved to sit beside her, his hand rubbing her back gently. "Was he okay?"

Cassie nodded. "Yeah. Mom got him out of the road. There were a couple more attempts after that…each one a little worse than before." She visibly winced, not wanting to go into detail. "By the time I graduated high school though he had gotten some help. Managed to calm down a lot. He's actually doing pretty great for himself now, and I'm proud of him. But now every time I witness some physical altercation just like tonight…I can't help but cry. I shake and cry and sit like a dazed puppy silently willing for it to stop. I can't even stand people yelling anymore…fuck I can't even yell myself. My anger is expressed through my tears." Her hands balled up into fists as she stared at them sitting in her lap. "Christ I'm pathetic."

Trevor wrapped his arm around Cassie, squeezing her in a gentle hug. "Cassie…you are many things. Pathetic is not one of them. What you are…" He paused, searching for the right word. "…is extremely compassionate. You don't bother to let your negative feelings show because you don't want to burden the people around you. You keep your anger inside, bottling it up so that you don't hurt anyone. Your tears, is like opening the cap slightly, letting out the carbonation so the soda don't explode. You care so much about the people around you that you wouldn't dare let your anger harm them."

Mark watched the two of them intently. He made a mental note to be careful around Cassie. At any point his temper could rear its ugly head and scare her bad. That was the last thing he wanted. In the middle of his thoughts he found Trevor staring at him, his deep blue eyes saying the exact same thing. Quietly he tread into the dim light. "You are certainly something special, little girl. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise." His low voice rumbled just loud enough for her to hear. Her head snapped up in his direction.

"Mark!" gently she stumbled her way out of Trevor's hold, shuffling to her feet. She looked up at him. "Jesus...are you okay?"

He raised an eyebrow in confusion. It was then that the pain was finally settling in. His right eye had swelled slightly and tingled, he guessed it would be nice and bruised in the morning. There was dull sting coming from the back of his forearm. Cassie gasped when he raised it, seeing the blood trickling down as well as a decently sized piece of glass stuck out from it.

Trevor had gotten to his feet, and when he saw the issue at hand he chuckled. "Always gotta make a spectacle of yourself huh? Ya big bastard…" That seemed to be his new favorite nickname for him, Mark mused.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Cassie screeched as Mark reached up to grab the broken glass. Slowly but carefully he pulled it out of his arm, tossing it on the table next to him as a new wave of blood spurted out. His large hand covered most of the gash as he applied pressure, looking at Trevor.

"It'll be fine. Just a scratch. Trev could you help me patch this up?"

Trevor shook his head amused. "Yeah, lets go in the back. Cassie you think you could get a start at cleaning this up?"

Cassie was staring at Mark for the longest time, her expression a mixture of awe and worry. "Y-yeah. No problem." Mark followed Trevor silently into the back where his office was. He sat on top of his desk, his head feeling a little lighter than usual. He must have lost a lot of blood. By the pain in his leg Mark suspected that this wasn't the only wound he had.

Trevor was hunched over a file cabinet where he kept most of his first aid supplies. "Mind telling me what happened back there? You were lucky not to kill Bill."

Mark was staring a hole in the floor, his brow knitted in frustration. "He had her in his lap, Trev. In his fucking lap."

The dark haired male paused, glancing at him. "What?" Mark took the next five minutes to explain the situation earlier in the night while Trevor set out some disinfectant and gauze as well as bandages next to him. "That dumb ass. He's been after her since she stepped foot in here. What's with all the drama happening when I go out for a smoke?"

"Is that where you were this morning?" Mark spoke before hissing at the disinfectant touching his wound.

Trevor nodded as he cleaned the wound. It was long but not very deep. Had to be deep enough though to lodge a piece of glass in it, he thought. "You know this is probably gonna need stitches."

Mark didn't reply, simply stared at the floor.

Trevor eyed him quietly before he bandaged up his arm. No way he was going to the hospital, he knew well enough. Mark had enough of doctors after working where he did for so long. He could have a broken arm, broken leg, broken _face_ and they'd clear him to fight any night of the week. Trevor decided to break the silence with a completely different topic. "You gonna go after her now?"

Mark's eyes practically popped out of his head. "Huh?!"

"Its pretty clear you like her Mark, after you nearly took Bill's head off seeing his hands all over her."

"That rat bastard's slimy mitts didn't belong around her waist, Trev. That's all." the tall man bit out. "You think you could look at my leg too? Got some pain down there."

Trevor did so and found a long cut along the back of his calf. Jeez, he thought, this man did a number on himself for only breaking a table. He started cleaning the wound.

"Besides," Mark muttered. "I'd only hurt her. You and I both know that."

Trevor shrugged. "Thing is, we don't, Mark. I've seen you show pretty good restraint in the past. That little girl in there does something to you. Brings out the best in you. I can see it." he reassured with a smile.

Mark was quiet for a while. "What if," he grimaced at himself. "…what if she doesn't like me…like that?" Quietly he muttered "Hard to love a big dominant bastard with a huge temper."

The dark haired male stared at his auburn topped friend in mild surprise. Was Mark Calaway really insecure about how a woman saw him? He shook his head in disbelief. "Mark, I knew from the first day she stepped into this bar…that without even ever meeting you, she had fallen for you. And I don't mean the deadman," he punctuated his last comment by jabbing the tall man in the chest. "She's head over heels for the man under the gimmick. For the real human being, Mark Calaway. She's in love with you." After he bandaged Mark's leg he straightened up and clapped the man on the back. "Now get the hell out there and do something about it."

Mark shook his head, laughing as he left the office.

Cassie had swept up the broken glass and had moved to throw the shards away when Mark re-emerged. His left arm was bandaged and he stood in the light a little differently, like something had come over him. "You doing a little better now?" she inquired as she came towards him. His face was initially shrouded in the shadows but when she came closer his olive green eyes sparkled at her, showing every emotion that surged through his body. Most of them she was unable to decipher. He was staring at her intently, making her slightly uncomfortable. "Mark?" Cassie took a step closer to him, now able to feel the warmth radiating from his tall body. His warmth sparked her own, igniting a fire in her own belly. His features, every crease and edge of his face made him look so handsome. He was so tall and his muscles were so defined and hard…she wanted to run her hands all over his body. Her eyes drifted to his auburn goatee, to his lips. Warmth emanated from her cheeks as she blushed slightly of the thought of him kissing her. Her gaze fell to the ground. Yeah, like he'd go for someone like her. Cassie stared down at her body. She was by no means sexy.

But Mark had wanted to kiss her. To lift her into his arms and kiss her senseless till adorable little giggles erupted from her. He'd bet she had the cutest laugh. But if Trevor was right about this…about his feelings for her, then he was gonna take this nice and slow. Cassie deserved that much, and he didn't want to spook her. She was a pretty timid woman. His long arms silently reached out to her as he closed the gap between them, embracing her in a gentle hug. He ran a large hand through her long golden hair. He felt her body relax against him, her arms wrap around his waist. Taking it to mean he was in the clear, he lifted her chin to look at him. She had to crane her head pretty damn far to look at him, he thought chuckling. Slowly he lowered his head to hers, brushing her lips with his in the lightest of kisses.

Light but delightful Cassie thought as they kissed. His lips were soft and warm and inviting. Slowly her arms left his hips, wrapping around his neck as she leaned into his kiss, deepening it. She could feel his tongue trace the seam of her lips, hesitantly begging entrance. With a deep sigh she parted her lips, feeling him taste and explore every inch of her warm mouth with his tongue. Timid as she was, she even dared to meet his tongue with hers, teasing it in a wild dance, eliciting a moan from him. Inadvertently she felt a grin tear at her mouth. She read about this kind of stuff in her fan fictions back in college, but to actually hear Mark Calaway moan…and to know she was the one to make such a thing happen? She could feel her already rapidly racing heart flutter lightly at the thought.

Mark pulled away, breaking the kiss. The physical contact was doing a number on him. He already had a multitude of naughty images of this woman coursing through his mind. But he pushed them to the back of his head. Nice and slow Calaway, he thought to himself. Gently he pressed his forehead to hers, grinning at her. "Sorry for scaring you today." He whispered huskily, his desire failing to leave his voice.

Cassie had closed her eyes, and finally opened them a long while after he had spoken. She found him gazing intently at her. Had he been watching her this whole time? She smiled at him, giving his neck a light squeeze to acknowledge him.

Trevor emerged from the back room, staring at the two with a smile on his face. "Good on ya, Mark. Was almost afraid you weren't gonna kiss her."

Mark sighed as he cast his glance to the man across the room. "Oh shut your trap, Trev." he barked, trying to sound angry but couldn't keep the smile from his face nor the light blush from his cheeks. Cassie's gaze was cast downward, her face burning a crimson red.

Casually the dark haired male leaned up against the door frame, a wide grin fell on his lips. "Y'know Cass, Mark was stumbling a bit going into my office. I think he lost a bit too much blood. No shape to drive. You should probably give him a ride home, huh? I can finish cleaning up here."

Cassie's eyes darted to her employer in surprise. What was he playing at? She shrugged with a smile. She wasn't about to pass up an opportunity to be alone with him again. "You okay with that?" Cassie asked the tall man still holding her.

"Of course." He mumbled quietly, his eyes never leaving her face. He found himself never wanting to be away from her touch, taking her hand and leading her out of the bar to her car.


	6. Chapter 6

Cassie eyed the man standing on the other side of her car up and down before she unlocked her door. She had found herself in a blissful daze up until the warm fresh air of Texas had hit her face, coupled with the radiating heat of the large body following behind her.

She really just did kiss Mark Calaway, she thought. The idea alone brought a large grin to her face but now that the reality of the situation that would follow was starting to dawn on her, she was starting to get nervous. She climbed into her seat and unlocked the door, allowing for Mark to clamber carefully inside. The respect for him getting the better of her she looked out the window, not quite wanting to witness the humorous situation of the tall man folding once again into her small car. All the while doing so though she couldn't prevent the interesting images from floating in her head. What was gonna happen when they got to his house? Was he going to invite her in again? If that was the case, would it just be for coffee, or something more? Heat was emanating from her cheeks in a blush as she cast him a sidelong glance. She noted the silence that fell between them and upon seeing him seated inside she turned the key in the ignition.

"There's a lever on the bottom of the seat to push it back." She mumbled. "I doubt I'll be having anyone else inside the car aside from you so feel free to adjust it."

Mark didn't waste time adjusting his body so he could reach down for the lever, sliding the chair back. It didn't give him too much more space, but he took what he could get. He propped his left leg against the dash and folded his injured right one closer to him without touching the wound. His bandaged left arm rested flat on top of the dashboard as his right laid against the window.

He had stopped moving after a bit so a minute following she asked him. "You good?"

Mark nodded, not saying a word. In truth though his limbs ached and his left knee was on fire. He wanted so desperately to just spring out of the car but being that he couldn't until they reached his house he simply had to grit his teeth and distract himself. They pulled up to the road again when he lifted his long finger to point the direction again. "That way-"

"I remember." Cassie spat out all too quickly, turning onto the street.

Mark lowered his hand, studying her. She seemed to be drowning in her mind at the moment and he wasn't quite sure why. They had just shared a damn good kiss ten minutes ago, now she seemed ready to bite someone's head off. Or maybe it was just a case of thinking face that Trev had talked about. "You do, do ya?"

She gave a quick nod, never looking his way. "I usually don't need directions to a place more than once. Finding my way around a city isn't too much of a problem for me." Indeed she was drowning in her thoughts. Her blissful thoughts that were quickly turning unpleasant. Cassie was the type of girl that had to get a better understanding of how to do something before she would do it. She had to have as much knowledge as possible before feeling comfortable about doing anything. Sex, was one of the still many things she had yet to know about. She was twenty-two, fresh out of college and after being practically sheltered in to her hometown as well as college town, she still had so much more to learn about the world. As a result she considered herself to be a genuine "child at heart" Still curious about the world, still innocent. Sure, she read quite a few racy things in fan fictions or the occasional romance novel, but the idea of the physical action made her stomach churn uneasily. Cassie was sure Mark knew his way around in the bedroom, but she sure as hell didn't. The last thing she would want to do is look like an inexperienced idiot around her idol.

He eyed her hands that clutched at the steering wheel for dear life. Her knuckles were white as she seemingly stared into space. "You alright there, little girl?"

Visibly she snapped out of her thoughts, nodding her head. "Yeah! Yeah. I'm good."

Thats a load of bull, Mark mused as he continued to watch her. But he wasn't in the mood to prod her. Maybe after they got out of the car.

In reality, Cassie couldn't shake the image from her mind of Mark coming up from behind, wrapping his long arms around her waist with an iron grip. Of him kissing her senseless as his large hands explored every part of her body. Of Mark backing her into a corner, towering over her like a large shadow, his arms propped against the wall on either side of her, trapping her almost as if in a cage. His olive green eyes watching her with a feral desire. Internally she asked herself, was she ready to have sex? At the thought her blood ran cold in a nervous sweat. No, no she wasn't. Could she tell him that though? She cast a quick glance at him, finding him watching her. Abruptly she snapped her gaze back to the road, blushing furiously.

Thing was, if it was what he wanted…if he asked her, she would probably let him take her. As inexperienced, as timid, as nervous about the idea that she was, she would give herself to him. It wouldn't be out of fear, she knew that much. It would be out of her undying affection for him.

Mark gave Cassie a worried look. Her face was in a full blown grimace and she looked about ready to crumple into a fit of tears. Thankfully they had pulled into his long drive at that moment. Soon, he could ask her what was wrong. Soon, he could wrap her in his arms and take whatever pain she was feeling away. Cassie pulled to a stop and turned off the engine taking note of how fast Mark stumbled out of the car. God he was eager, she thought. Whether it was because of her fears from earlier or unwillingness to be near her, she was unsure. With few long strides Mark's long legs carried him quickly to her side of the car, opening the door for her.

Cassie looked up at him in slight surprise, a tinge of pink staining her face as she offered him a small smile. "…T-thank you." She got out of the car, almost automatically making her way to his front door with him following close behind. A courteous hand lightly sat at the small of her back as they walked up the steps. A brief bit of remorse welled up inside her as the warmth of his hand left her when he went to unlock the door. Without a word she followed him inside. Cassie didn't bother to question what was about to happen, she was too nervous. She also had no idea what he was up to, so until she had a firmer grasp of the situation she wouldn't object.

His big hand overlapped hers, interrupting her thoughts. Her head snapped to him, worry etched in her features until she realized the situation. He had been standing across from her at the island counter again in his kitchen. She looked around for a moment. When did she sit down? She couldn't remember ever being so far in her head before.

"You gonna tell me whats wrong or are you gonna brood in silence about it all night long?" The look in his eyes held a softness about them as he watched her in concern.

Her gaze shot to the counter. "It's nothing really. Don't worry about it."

Mark squeezed her hand gently. "Cass, its better ya tell me now cause I'll be bugging you about it all night. I'm just that stubborn." Without looking she could hear the smile in his voice.

She couldn't suppress the low laugh from leaving her lips as she retorted. "Unfortunately for you I'm just as stubborn." Cassie still wouldn't meet his gaze.

"Cassie," Mark whispered. "You can tell me anything." Whatever he felt in his heart the night before was in greater magnitude now. Slowly he was starting to piece it together. This need, to be there for her no matter what. As a friend, as a confidant, and maybe…just maybe as a lover. But the latter would just have to wait a while.

It was then she looked up into his beautiful green eyes. Could she really? Could she confide in him about whatever plagued her mind? This was the second day she knew this man somewhat better than just a fan from afar. In theory, he was still just a stranger. Her conscious was prodding her chest, her father's gruff voice telling her to trust no one. But at the same time, her all too trusting heart was willing to open to him. To bear its scars to him. And, she figured, she told him quite a bit about herself last night, so there was no turning back now.

The near deafening silence was interrupted by the rumbling of the coffee machine. So this was just coffee, she thought. Good. "My mind," Cassie mumbled, her eyes on their hands. "was just wandering into some dangerous territory."

Mark quirked an eyebrow at her. "Care to explain?"

"I was just afraid of what was going to happen when we got here."

"And just what did you think was going to happen?" Mark asked softly. It took only one look from her wide, green eyes to see exactly what she had been thinking. He saw the innocence still etched in them, as well as the fear. "…Are you afraid of me, Cassie?"

Slowly she shook her head, her gaze never leaving his. "Its not you I'm afraid of…to be completely honest…its the sex that scares me." She cringed at the word, her face blazing a crimson red. Mark bit back a small smile. She was acting so adolescent about it, contrary to how old she was. In a burst of nerves she stammered and stumbled out her words, her eyes squeezed shut. "I-I've never done it before and I'm scared I'd be bad at it and make myself look like a fool in front of you and to be frank I just don't think I'm ready for it—"

"Cassie." Mark's voice was stern but calm as he squeezed her hand a bit harder. "Look at me." He waited patiently as her eyes met his again. "I'm gonna put this all out here right now. Ya need to stop worrying yourself sick about this." He gave her a soft smile. She was so cute when she was nervous. "Cassie, you're a beautiful girl. You're important to me. We may not have known each other for very long but hell I would like to think there could be the start of something between us and if you'll permit me," He paused. "I'd like to have a relationship with ya. I care about ya, and want to make sure you're as comfortable as possible. Trust me, I ain't gonna jump your bones until you're good and ready." The last bit was spoken in a light laugh in an attempt to diffuse the tension between them. "But I can't hold back from stealin' a kiss or two." he straightened up, winking at her before turning to pour them coffee.

Cassie's face scorched red, a wide smile pulling at her lips. This man, she thought, had to be the most wonderful man she ever met. He wasn't going to pressure her for sex? He wanted a relationship with her? Hell, he found her goddamn beautiful. Mark was the man of her dreams. The man she never thought she'd ever imagine being with. As gruff and angry as he could be at times, with her he was so sweet and gentle…never in her life had she met a more wonderful human. She hadn't said a word as he placed a cup of coffee as well as creamer in front of her, making him slightly nervous. But she was smiling, so he wasn't sure what to think.

"…Cass?" he whispered gently.

Her eyes darted up at him. "You..." her voice was louder, more confident, and at the same time she sounded like she would burst into tears. Mark was admittedly caught off guard by it. "God, you're more wonderful than I ever imagined."

Mark had let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. "Is that so?" he rumbled out with a chuckle.

Cassie leaned back in her chair, a bit more comfortable than before. "I imagined you to be really quiet and reserved, just like the other wrestlers would say when they talked about you," She paused, shaking her head almost as if in disbelief. "But I had a feeling you were really sweet and compassionate. And you are. One of them gentle, misunderstood giant types. It really went with your gimmick well. Its such an appealing concept no matter who you talk to. Probably one of the reasons it worked so well. And you worked it so well too." She grinned at him. "One of the many reasons why I respect you so much. The big evil was perfect too. You being this big tough guy but I could see through it. I could see you were a kind, gentle man. Just super protective with a temper to match. Protective his pride, of his family, and of his respect." She closed her eyes. "You…are everything I wanted to be as a human being."

Mark stared at her for the longest time, his heart soaring at her words. No woman alive he had met before saw him for who he was, except for his first wife, Jodi. She was his high school sweetheart. She knew him well before he started wrestling. She knew about the warmth he had inside that he kept hidden from everyone. Only problem with their marriage was when his career started to skyrocket, it became his number one priority. They barely ever saw each other, and it bothered her to no end. They divorced, and every woman he found after that only saw the gruff, silent, stone-faced Undertaker. Or his money. Or just wanted a good fuck. Mark thought finding another decent human being was near impossible after all the women he met. Cassie though, Cassie saw through the Undertaker, to the man he really was. It touched his heart to no end. He bent down, placing a kiss on the top of her soft hair. "Thank you, Cassie. That means a lot."

Her heart fluttered at the light contact. It made her feel small and safe, protected. Cassie inhaled his scent deeply. He smelled of cedar wood, whiskey, and leather. It was intoxicating. Damn was she crazy about this man, she thought, grinning as she leaned into his shoulder.

He pulled away with a smile, taking a sip of his coffee. His gaze fell casually to her arm. "I've been wanting to ask, whats the meaning behind your tattoo?" With one finger he traced the flower in the middle, his calloused skin sending new sensations down her spine.

Red was definitely a good look on her, he thought, smiling as he watched her blush. "The blue rose…people thought that rose colors spoke a kind of language, they were given to people to express some kind of message of love. A blue rose means unattainable, or the impossible. In a way…it was a symbol of a love I could never have…" She smirked, nodding at the Undertaker symbol in the center. "…or at least didn't think would've been possible...until now." Adoration was evident in her eyes as she watched him. Mark's breath caught in his throat at her words. He couldn't think of a time someone had cared about him so much since Jodi.

Slowly he leaned forward, tilting his head to hers and meeting her lips in a soft kiss. "Little girl," he whispered on her mouth, his hot breath making her face flush. "You have a beautiful mind."


	7. Chapter 7

A bit short and not too much happens, sorry. XP I got done with six chapters and was just like "Well hell what do they do now?" My head has also been elsewhere and school is having a negative effect on my mind. I have some friends coming up for the weekend but come monday I'll hopefully be working on the next chapter, and looking forward to it. :)

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"Mmmm…" Cassie stretched slowly as the throughs of consciousness were pulling her back into reality. She slept like a rock, chalking it up to the late nights she'd had for the past few days. After work she would go over to Mark's where they would talk for hours, and she wouldn't get home and sleep until one in the morning. Then she'd get up five hours later to open the bar for breakfast and repeat the whole process again. She was getting a little sleep deprived, not that she minded much. Hell she'd get into the ring herself and risk breaking every bone in her body if it meant she could be around Mark more. Thankfully though that wasn't an option.

Cassie gazed up at the ceiling of her bedroom. The light filtering in through the windows onto the cream colored walls, making it difficult to return to slumber. She looked at the clock. Ten in the morning. A frown graced her face. She hated getting up late. Sure, this wouldn't be considered late to most, but she loved getting up really early, while it was still dark. When most of the world was still asleep but she was free to roam as she pleased because it didn't feel as dangerous since the sun would rise soon enough. The sunrise here in Texas was pretty captivating on top of it.

Rolling off the mattress she was sleeping on, she gradually made her way to her feet. There wasn't much to her room aside from the mattress that sat on the floor, covered in one sheet and one quilt that was used sparsely on warm nights, and the small table beside it with an even smaller lamp on top. It wasn't much, but she considered it enough. She didn't have too much money to her name, it was enough for a few months rent on the small house she was renting down here. Most of what she made through work was going towards her loans. Cassie scraped by, but she didn't try to let it get to her. Nothing in the entire world made her more anxious than finances…or anything to do with money in general. She hated everything to do with it. Every day she would tell herself, it will all work out in the end. Don't try to worry about it now, you'll figure it out as you go along.

Cassie let out a deep sigh. Staying inside all day wasn't something she planned to do. This house made her feel odd. It was a small shack, with cheap rent that was on the outskirts of town. The isolation was nice though. It was a nice house, fit for a broke college grad like her. Cassie liked her solitude, just not in abundance. She needed to know that life was around her, to be around people. She didn't need to know who they were, just that they existed. On a rare occasion remorse ate at her soul. The absence of her family saddened her. But at the same time if they were around she'd feel claustrophobic and cramped.

It was a Sunday, one of two days she had off every week. The usual crowd of customers had other things to do on a Sunday, whether it was going to church, housework, or time with family, so Trevor could handle the quieter days on his own. What was she gonna do today though? Well, she knew what she wanted to do, she thought as she shed her clothes and climbed into the shower. A smile pulled at her lips as she thought of Mark as the hot water rolled over her body. As much as she wanted to be around him today…as well as everyday, he could probably use a break from her. That, and she wasn't sure what he was up to today. She couldn't pop by his house incase he wasn't there. Maybe he was working. She could always swing by and check. Cassie cursed at herself for not getting his number. It would've been the obvious thing to do, right? Though he never asked for hers yet either…

She shook her head of the thought as she stepped out of the shower and dried herself off. Nothing negative was going to be allowed in her brain today. She rifled through what little clothes she had as she thought about what to do for the day.

Maybe she'll stop by Trev's for breakfast, Cassie thought with a laugh. She couldn't think of anywhere else to be aside from wandering around Houston on a random adventure, and by the looks of it, it was raining today. A sunny rain, she thought with a smile. Weird. It would be nice to go to Trev's without having to work for once. At the gurgle of her empty stomach she gave a chuckle and nodded to herself, deciding that was what she would do.

Cassie decided on a tight black t-shirt, baggy blue jeans, and her thick black vans that were borderline ratty and well worn. She loved those shoes though. She looked at herself in the mirror. Her hair was had been dried and feathered like usual. A smirk pulled at her lips. With her outfit she looked like Jeff Hardy. Wonder what Mark would say about that. She looked like a stark contrast from the other woman that usually worked at Trev's.

She gathered her backpack, sliding her sketchbook inside. Cassie liked to doodle every now and then. It was a good time killer. Throwing her mechanical pencils and pens in as well, she zipped up her bag and went out to her car. It was usually a twenty minute drive to there from her home, but today it felt like a brisk five minutes before she pulled into the parking lot. She smirked at the absence of a black truck. Mark had finally gotten around to taking his damn truck home.

"Hey beautiful." Trevor said to Cassie, grinning at her as she came in and took a seat at the bar. "Couldn't get enough of this place, huh?"

Her shoulders rose and fell in a shrug. "Couldn't think of anything else to do today. Was kinda hungry too." The dark haired male nodded as he went about cooking some bacon and eggs, making sure to include an extra order.

"Girl you need a hobby. Its almost like you're living here." Trevor said laughing.

In turn Cassie sighed. She didn't like being told she needed a life. She knew damn well she desperately needed one. Getting her to do things, it was a long tedious process at times. "Don't have time or money for a hobby. Besides, I come here because you're the only friend I got in Texas, Trev."

"Besides Mark?" He cast her a sidelong glance, eyebrow quirked. As if on cue her cheeks flushed a tinge pink.

"Besides Mark." her words were a quiet mumble. Trevor immediately noticed and smiled.

The creak of the restroom door could be heard across the room. "I was gonna say…" Two long arms wrapped around Cassie's abdomen and a chiseled scruffy chin rested atop her head. "You better not have forgotten about me little one." Mark's husky voice whispered into her golden hair. She could feel his lips curved into a smile on her skin. His warm breath made a tingling sensation trail down her spine. Instinctively she leaned back into his broad chest, her heart racing as if on instinct. He was so warm, she thought smiling. His arms had tightened slightly at the notice of her shiver.

"Hey you. I was wondering if I'd run into you today." She loved the way he embraced her like that. It made her feel so small, protected, loved. "Isn't it a little early for you to be up even on a weekend?"

"Couldn't sleep last night." She could feel his words vibrate against her back. "And I figured I'd head into the shop in an hour and work on a harley that came in the other day."

"So thats why you're making so much food." her attention was turned to her employer. In turn he quirked an eyebrow at her.

"Observant, are we?"

Cassie smiled silently. That was who she was, a quiet observer. She took note of every little thing that most would miss. Including Mark's brief statement. "Why couldn't you sleep?"

His long fingers prodded her ribs, making her jolt with a squeal. He smirked at the prospect of his playfulness. She was ticklish. Good. "Too busy thinking about my little girl." Squeezing her gently in a hug, he retracted his grip and took a seat beside her.

Her heart swelled as his words as her face blushed fiercely. Mark was so sweet to her. As far as she noticed it was only to her and Trev that he acted like a civil human being to. Everyone else apparently wasn't worth his time, as they'd only be acknowledged with a grunt or a spare glance. Cassie smiled at Mark intently, adoration spilling from her gaze. Her only wish was that he was the subject filling her dreams last night. Unfortunately last night was a dreamless sleep, in fact leaving her sluggish and more exhausted than before she drifted into slumber.

Mark had taken notice of her watching him. "Your food's gonna get cold if ya keep staring at me like that, little girl."

The scent of scrambled eggs, ham, toast, and hash browns wafted into her nostrils as she snapped out of her stupor. Cassie stared at the food before her. It looked delicious. She took her time savoring the morsels, moaning happily. If she had to choose a meal to eat out for, it would always be breakfast. Though she had no idea why.

"Like the food, huh?" Trevor asked with a laugh.

A tinge of red colored her cheeks as her gaze shot between the two men. Trevor snickered at her while Mark smirked amusedly as he chewed his food. The auburn haired male eyed her up and down. She looked like a whole different woman from the last few days. He wondered if this was a reflection of a personality she usually kept hidden. Black was a rare color on her, but it was damn good on her body. Her thick upper torso stretched against the tight shirt, making her bustier than usual. He felt a warmth in his loins just looking at her. He wished her jeans hugged her just as well as the shirt, but they were uncharacteristically baggy today. She usually wore tight jeans. The leather boots were also missing today, replaced with fat skate shoes. Mark silently wondered if she happened to know how to skateboard. "Nice clothes. Ya look good."

Cassie blushed, looking down at herself to double check her appearance. "T-thanks." Ten minutes later Mark had cleaned his plate, watching Cassie with a smile. Sadly he knew that work had to be done.

"How long ya gonna be here darlin?" Mark asked in a husky voice.

Cassie slowly finished her food. "Probably for a while yet. You gonna come back after work? I can wait around for you."

"Well I was thinkin," The back of his large hand slowly stroked her cheek, making her freeze and instantly relax to his touch. "Maybe you'd like to come over tonight and we'll rent some movies."

Her big green eyes looked up at him happily. "I have to work tomorrow though. Probably shouldn't stay out too late."

Trevor cut in by clearing his throat. "Girl, you know as well as I do that Mondays are dead days. Tell ya what, I'll not be expecting ya in until six pm. Cool?"

"Trevor…" Cassie looked at her employer surprised. "Are you sure?"

"Cassie…you practically live here. You deserve to have a nice night to yourself elsewhere. Trust me, I can handle things around here."

If it were possible he thought her face would have broken in half from the large smile on it.

Mark responded for her. "Thanks, Trev." his gratitude was clearly evident in his deep voice. He placed a long lingering kiss on the top of Cassie's head. "I'll be back here around six then, alright? I can follow you home and we can take my bike to my place."

She turned to face him, wrapping her arms around his waist in a hug. "Okay. I'll see you then."

Trevor waited until the big man disappeared before laughing at Cassie. "Girl, you have it bad for him."

Cassie grinned at the dark haired male. "Yeah, I think you're right."


	8. Chapter 8

I was debating on keeping the T rating or moving to M. I mean nothing explicit has happened yet, just suggestive themes. I've never written this kinda stuff here before, let alone posted it here, so I am unsure. I think I'll switch to M rating to be safe. I mean something interesting is bound to happen eventually...right? ;D

* * *

Mark returned at six just like he said, grumbling about the harley that was giving him so much trouble earlier in the day. He was more than ready to spend a quiet evening with his girl. Cassie though was nowhere to be seen. "Where is she?" He was slightly annoyed by her absence, but he made sure to not let it show in his voice, as his tone remained unnaturally neutral.

Trevor turned around. The man was damn perceptive. He may not have heard it in the big guy's voice but he knew damn well the kind of tone he was insinuating. Judging by the dark haired bartender's expression he could tell exactly what he was asking. _Are you for real?_ "She's been sitting around here all day waiting for your ass. I told her to go for a walk and stretch her legs since the rain cleared. She been gone for roughly an hour or so, so she should be back soon enough."

"Don't get your shorts in a bunch Trev. It was just a question." Mark grumbled as he lowered himself on the bar stool. He mulled over his thoughts for a while. "She's been sitting in here all day?"

Trevor nodded. "Yeah, drawing, singing, anything but drinking." He finished with a chuckle. "She seems a bit antisocial. Only sticks close to those she knows well enough. Or she goes on walks where she doesn't have to interact with anyone."

Mark silently agreed. Cassie did seem a bit shy. But once you got to know her she was a real sweetheart. He wasn't sure he'd go so far as to call her antisocial though. She probably was still intimidated by being in a whole new state, let alone town. He didn't know how things were in Minnesota, but from his observations of her behavior it sure wasn't filled with huge men that leaked testosterone and butted heads every other day. Sure, she may be an adult, but she was fresh outta college. Still had her whole life ahead of her, and still had all kinds of new people to meet. But now Cassie was thousands of miles away from her family, from anyone who could support her. That alone had to be frightening.

"Mark," Trevor's voice took had an underlying warning tone to it. "Being as such, she's gonna need her space every once in a while, okay? I know how… _possessive_ you can be about your women. But I don't think Cass will tolerate that for long. She's different, ya know? As much as she needs people around her, she also needs time to be by herself. Keeps her in check."

The tall man stared hard at the bartender, as if hoping to instill some intimidation. Hell if he was gonna let anyone push him around. Trevor was never easily intimidated though. After a minute Mark sighed, defeated, and nodded in agreement. Cassie definitely wasn't like other women. It would take some time but eventually he'd get a better feel for what kind of girl she really was when she wasn't so quiet and shy.

Quietly he observed his friend standing on the other side of the bar. He was wiping the counter clean, finding nothing else to do with his time seeing how dead the place was. He was a strange combination of genetics; His deep blue eyes looked like sapphires, contrasting uniquely with his almost black hair that was spiked up in a faux hawk, and freckles speckled in abundance across the bridge of his nose in like mist on a horizon. His skin was pale, if not darkened a tinge from the time spent under the harsh Texan sun, much like Cassie's was. Whenever Mark inquired about his looks he stated adamantly that he "wasn't a damn ginger". Mark believed him; thanks to his old job he knew well what red roots showing from black hair looked like. Trevor's hair was natural. He was a good six inches shorter than most of the men that came in here for a drink, but at the same time had the muscles to compensate. Trevor was born in Texas, but his parents had divorced early in his youth and his mom dragged him all the way to New York, where he spent most of his life. He had the bronx type of accent to show for it too. He came back to Texas in his early thirties though, and has been here running Trev's ever since. Mark couldn't figure out why he'd want to come back here just to run a bar. Not much of a dream if you asked him. Strangely though from the time Mark knew him he hadn't asked why he came back here. Didn't seem to matter to either of them now, Mark was glad to have him around. He was good man. An honest man. That Mark felt he could open up so freely to him said a lot. He cared a great deal for Cassie too, like a brother if anything. "Trevor you've only known this girl for a month. You usually don't let people get so close so fast. Why are you so protective of her?" It took a good year before Trevor and Mark could talk to each other about anything comfortably.

Trevor paused, his blue eyes meeting Mark's green spheres. "Most women I don't let close because they'd get too close romantically. With Cassie…she emanates a little sister kind of vibe, ya know? She's like the little sibling I never had. Came in here her first day all timid and scared. I felt for her."

Mark bit his lip, thinking about Trevor's comment. Cassie did radiate that kind of little sister aura. Made him feel like a sick kind of bastard in a way for thinking anything dirty about her. But damn if she wasn't a pretty little thing.

Somewhat smaller arms wrapped around his waist as a smaller face pressed against his back. She said nothing, but he knew fully well of who was behind him.

"I was getting worried about ya, baby girl. You shouldn't be walking around in the dark." Albeit the sun had only just set.

"Sorry," Cassie whispered. "Walk got a little longer than I thought it would." He could sense the hesitance in her voice. She must have thought he was mad. Mark smiled.

Hell he wasn't mad. Trevor was right, she had to be given her own breathing room if she was gonna break out of her shell. Mark turned around fully and encased her in his large arms with a hug. "I know baby, its okay. I ain't mad." He looked into her sparkling eyes, green as fresh moss. Slowly he leaned toward her, brushing his lips against hers in a light kiss. Lingering for a moment, he pulled away slightly leaving only centimeters between them. His hot breath on her cheek was visibly effecting her. "You ready to go darlin?"

She smiled at him softly, her immense adoration never leaving her emerald eyes. "Yep." Cassie whispered softly. Gathering her things she slung her backpack over her shoulder as he followed close behind. She had left the vicinity first when Trevor called out to him.

"Mark."

The taller of the two turned to the other man.

Anger filled the deep blue oceans of his eyes. Every word was punctuated with dead seriousness. "Don't you dare hurt her."

Mark frowned. Like he even had to demand such a thing. "You don't need to worry about that, Trev." He couldn't even imagine hurting her. When he stepped out into the cool night air he found Cassie standing next to her car in deep thought. She seemed slightly despaired. "You okay Cass?"

Her gaze shot up to his as she blushed slightly, somewhat embarrassed. "Rather you not have to see my dinky ass house." She muttered with a laugh.

A chuckle left his lips. "I could care less about the size of your house little girl. Not like we'll be stopping there for long."

"I suppose." She whispered as she climbed into her car. Mark mounted his bike and turned it on. He watched her pull out to the street as his engine roared to life. It was a bit of a drive, he found them on the outskirts of town when she pulled into a drive of a small shack in a wooded area. It was nice and isolated, the perfect size for her.

Cassie turned off her car and made her way inside. Her movements were slow and careful, making him subconsciously lick his lips watching her. "Let me go grab a couple things." Mark nodded trying to get a hold of his inner thoughts. Ten minutes later she came out again with her backpack. Cassie clenched her fists anxiously.

"You okay darlin?" Mark quirked an eyebrow at her.

She nodded. "Never rode a bike before." She spoke with a smile. "My brother got this blue kawasaki crotch rocket type bike, but I never got around to asking for a ride."

Mark grinned at her. "There's always a time for firsts. Hop on little one." Thankfully she was all legs, so mounting the bike was fairly easy. It was pretty tall for a bike, probably to accommodate his long legs. Cassie was careful not to kick him accidentally as she climbed on. Slowly her arms wrapped around his waist, gripping him for dear life to brace for the ride soon to come. "Don't worry, ya won't fall off with me little one." He chuckled, giving her intertwined hands a pat before reaching for the handlebars. She hugged him tight and he raised the kickstand, taking it nice and easy out of the drive. Once he pulled onto the main road he picked up speed. Cassie found her mind completely empty as the wind beat against her face. She stared at the darkened world around her whizzing by in a blur. There was something slightly terrifying about having nothing but Mark to hold onto to ride the bike. She did her best to focus on the warmth radiating from his back.

Mark was enjoying the feel of her pressed so closely to his body. It had been quite a while since he had last taken a woman for a ride on one of his bikes. The ride could've never been long enough. Eventually they pulled into his driveway, where Mark pulled all the way into his open garage. As Cassie predicted, there were about six other bikes sitting inside, side by side at the far end of the space. When Mark pulled to a stop she carefully clambered off of the vehicle, watching him as he pulled the bike to its rightful place next to the others and killed the engine. Without a word she followed him through the door connecting the garage to the rest of the house. They passed by the kitchen and what appeared to be a living room as he gestured for her to follow him up the stairs. Quietly she watched him take care with each step upwards, obviously still favoring his knee.

"Is it ever going to get better?" she asked him candidly. Worry was etched in her features.

Mark grunted as he climbed the top step. "On its own, yeah with a little time. I need to start rehabbing it back into shape or else I won't be able to fucking walk on my own."

Cassie quirked an eyebrow at him. "You still work out even after retirement?"

He nodded. "Work outs keep me sane. Pretty good at killing time too as well as keeping me in shape. Just in case…" His last sentence faded into silence as he limped down a long hall.

She didn't miss it though. "In case of what?" What did he mean?

There was no response from him as he stopped at a white door, opening it into one of his guest rooms. The walls were a light, sunflower yellow and furnished with sky blue. Cassie smiled at the sight of the interior decorating. As a little girl she always knew these colors belonged together.

Mark's gruff voice broke her thoughts. "You can put your stuff in here. Figure you can sleep here for the night." Making his way out of the room he added. "Feel free to change into some more comfy clothes. I'll be doing the same. Meet me downstairs in the kitchen when you're ready."

Once the door closed behind him the blush creeped onto her face. It was a more common occurrence as of recently she noticed. With a smirk she threw her bag down, digging for her lounge clothes. She pulled out a black wife beater and sky blue shorts. She usually preferred her pair of loose, casual pj pants for sleep, but obviously a certain someone was influencing her apparel decisions tonight. So she went with her "booty shorts" as she called them. They were just her size, hugging tightly to her hips and cutting just past her rump, splotched with white clouds.

Shedding her daily clothes she folded them neatly, setting them on the floor next to her bag as she slid her shorts up past her hips. Tugging on the shirt she looked in the mirror. It had been a while since she exposed her shoulders, she thought observing them. They were speckled abundantly with freckles from the constant sun exposure in the past. Summers in Minnesota for her were usually filled with tank tops every single day of her life, leading to sunburns if she wasn't careful. She was such a pale human. When she got to Texas though she felt a bit more vulnerable and as a result showed less skin, hence the flannel. It was also Winter when she got here…not that it made a damn difference. Winters here were just as comfortable, but it didn't stop her from wearing extra layers if she felt like it. Cassie gave one last once over in the mirror. With a satisfied nod she left the room, making her way to the kitchen.

Mark was already in the kitchen with a big bowl of popcorn in his hands. Looking up he felt his breath hitch when Cassie came in his sights, standing barefoot in the room. He hadn't noticed how long her legs were until now. Letting his eyes trail up them to her curvaceous hips, he smirked involuntarily, fighting the subconscious need to lick his lips. Her clothes left little to the imagination. His olive eyes continued up her body, eventually finding her own staring back at him amused. "You okay there big guy?"

Desire was apparent in his eyes, but it failed to show anywhere past them. Keep yourself under control man, Mark told himself. Instead he smiled warmly at her. "Little girl…everything's just fine. C'mon." He nodded in the direction of the den. He could hear her soft footsteps treading just behind him. Cassie was watching his broad back. It moved so much differently when he was at home compared to everywhere else.

"Are you that afraid to show weakness?" her tone was so matter of factly. The question caught Mark off guard as evident by him stopping and staring at her.

"What?"

She nodded at him. "You only limp when you're at home. Doesn't it just hurt it more when you try to walk normally with that shitty knee?"

"The knee is already shit. Walking on it normally ain't gonna make it worse than it already is. Yeah, it hurts like a bitch doing so but I'm not about to look like a gimpy bastard around anybody." By then Mark had already turned back, walking into the den. She instantly noticed the nest of thick blankets and pillows that sat on the floor in front of a black couch that faced a large television. Mark set the bowl on the couch when her gaze returned to him, intent on finishing the conversation.

"But you'll be a gimpy bastard around me?" she asked with a chuckle. Secretly though she liked the thought. That only she was allowed to see his vulnerability.

Mark laughed as he popped the movie in the dvd player. "It's my house. I'm fine being a gimpy bastard here. You being here too is just coincidence."

She smiled at him silently as she took a seat on the floor in front of the couch. She took a moment to notice his choice of clothes; a white t-shirt that strained against his upper torso and grey sweats that hugged him nicely. "So, what are we watching?"

A smirk graced his features as he glanced at her. "Back to the Future. Kept hearing good stuff about it but never got around to seeing it myself..."

Cassie found herself suddenly excited. It too had been a long time since she last seen the classic. It was one of her favorites. "That sounds great." She spoke grinning.

"Figured you'd like it." He spoke playfully, winking at her as he came to sit on the floor as well. He pushed the play button and reached for the popcorn.

Suddenly it dawned on her. "Wait, you haven't seen Back to the Future?!" She watched him in disbelief.

Mark shook his head. "Too busy with my studies when it first came out. Then I started wrestling…the job didn't leave much time for leisurely activities. Specially when my career was getting its first big push."

"Huh." Cassie was still clearly surprised. "Suppose I can't hold it against you then." she said with a smile. In response Mark drew his arm around her waist, pulling her to his side. She grinned at him, indulging in the warmth his body radiated. He was like a big pillow, his hard muscles relaxed against her.

Marty had been pounding on Doc's door trying to convince him he was from the future when Cassie felt a squeeze around her waist. Only then did she notice that Mark had been staring at her. For how long, she was unsure. "Hm?" She quirked a playful eyebrow at him.

His voice was barely audible over the movie. "Can't get over how beautiful you are, little girl." Slowly he tilted his head down, meeting her lips with his. The warmth of the blush on her face made him smile. Feeling brave, Cassie opened her mouth, tracing the seam of his lips with her tongue. With a groan Mark's lips parted, allowing her entry to plunder the warm cavern that was his mouth. He tasted so good, she thought with an internal smile. As if on instinct her hand moved to cup the back of his neck, pulling him closer to her. Something along the lines of a guttural growl came from Mark as he quickly took the lead, deepening the kiss. His hands went to her hips as he pulled her onto his lap, pressing their bodies as close as they could be. Cassie felt his big hands run down her full hips to her bare legs, his contact with her skin sending a new, flaring sensation in the pit of her stomach. It was a wonderful feeling. Mark nipped at her lips before drawing away, both of them desperately needing oxygen. Cassie sat on his lap, her breaths slow and heavy. The kiss was so intoxicating she thought she would perish if it didn't happen again.

Her gaze connected with his, watching the small smile on his face form from exhilaration. The light from the television glinted on his olive green eyes, dilated with passion. The two of them sat together, relishing the moment. The moment that was quickly interrupted by a strange sensation that quickly made itself apparent. Cassie could feel something under her bottom growing big and growing hard. Her mind was reeling at the presence beneath her as her eyes drifted down to Mark's lap. Whoa, she thought, what in the world was that?

Her thoughts were cut short as the realization suddenly dawned on her. Her eyes grew wide as she scrambled off his lap. "W-whoa!"

"What?!" Mark looked worried, confused by her change in attitude. "What's wrong?"

Struggling to find a focal point that wasn't his face, her eyes settled with staring at the floor, wide and unblinking. "I-I-I…" Cassie shook her head. What the hell was she doing? Making a goddamn fool out of herself was what. Its human anatomy for gods sake, she shouted internally. "Wow…sorry. Kinda got spooked there…"

He watched her with a raised eyebrow, still puzzling out the situation. Gradually her eyes drifted to his lap, finally giving him the answer. His gaze softened as he spoke with a chuckle. "Little girl, he ain't gonna hurt you."

"I-I know, I just…" She paused, trying to find the words. "Uh…fear of the unknown I guess? I've never seen one before…let alone touched one." Her words faded into a mumble that he had to strain to hear. If one's face could melt off by excessive blushing, she thought her's would right now. She was probably beet red in the face.

Both eyebrows were raised this time. "Girl I thought you went to college. Or at least had a few boyfriends by now."

Cassie frowned, her eyes finally connecting with his again. Her brow was knitted in anger. "One. One boyfriend…and we never got that far. He wasn't really the physical type. And just cause I went to college doesn't mean I spent my time sleeping around." She paused, hurt filling her eyes. "You think I'm some sort of slut?!"

Mark's eyes went wide, instantly wanting to retract his words. "No! Of course not! I just assumed…" A deep sigh escaped his lips. "Cass, I'm sorry. I was just saying…you're a beautiful girl, you know? Any man would be crazy not to want you."

She sat on her heels studying him as she analyzed his words. They could have easily been read the wrong way, but she understood what he was saying. The compliment washed over her, melting her heart. Adolescently she shuffled over to him on her knees, wrapping her arms around his waist and burying her face in his chest.

With a quiet chuckle Mark hugged her back. He kissed the top of her hair, whispering sweet words in her golden locks. "You're a beautiful girl…" He found it weird that he had to keep re-emphasizing it to her, to validate his words. She held herself in such manner that screamed she didn't believe him. Extremely humble. And timid, he thought with a smirk. "C'mon, lets finish the movie."

Cassie moved to sit on the floor again, curled up against his side. He held her tightly, resolving to never let go. "This the only movie tonight?"

He shook his head. "I got the trilogy."

A grin pulled at her lips. "Sweeeeeeet." Her response made him chuckle.

After the first movie wrapped up they popped in the second installment. Marty was making a hasty retreat from Griff and the gang when Cassie's eyelids got heavy. Blinking once suddenly Jennifer was in her future home watching her family. Sleep deprivation was finally getting the better of her. Before she knew it she found herself dozing off, her head nestled in the crook of Mark's neck. He noticed her steady, slow breathing pretty quickly, but was too comfortable to disturb her. Even though her warm breath on his neck was driving him nuts. Thanks to this his attention was more on her than the movie. Cassie looked so adorable curled up beside him like this. Thats what she was. Adorable. Innocent. Childlike. Mark couldn't help but wonder how sheltered she could have been as a kid to be how she was. Never in his years had he ran into a full grown woman that was actually afraid of his manhood. There was still so much about her personality he had yet to know about.

The movie finally came to an end, leaving Mark to wonder how he could do this. Carrying Cassie was out of the question, seeing how iffy his knee was. He sighed. She'll need to wake up. Gently he nudged her. "Wake up little one." his voice whispered in her ear. Gradually Cassie stretched into consciousness.

"Mmmmm…what's up?" Though obviously still half asleep she was rather coherent.

"Movie's over. I'd carry ya to bed if I could, but I ain't in any shape to." Mark said with a chuckle.

"Mmmmm s'okay…" the words fell from her lips in a sleepy murmur. She pushed away from him, stumbling to her feet as she walked out of the room. The sight made him smile. At the same time he was slightly somber from her presence no longer at his side, which was now cold. After a moment he turned off the television and followed her upstairs. Her door was left open. Peeking inside he found her curled up in the thick blankets, already fast asleep. Quietly he crept in, watching her for a moment with a smile before bending and placing a kiss in her hair. "You're worming your way into my heart, little girl." Swiftly he left the room, shutting the door behind him.


	9. Chapter 9

Um, yeah. Name change. I've been using this name as my minecraft IGN for the past few years and thought I might as well use it here too. This name made a lot more sense to me then Areoblue ever did. X) But yeah same human here. Sorry its been a few days. I was halfway through this chapter and kinda hit a standstill. But I pushed through somewhat. Enjoy.

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Mark stretched and yawned into consciousness. He looked at the clock. Eight in the morning.

He frowned. What the hell was he doing up so early? Shrugging it off he took his gaze to the window. The sun had risen about an hour ago, and the daylight was still fresh. As much as he hated being up so early, he had to admit that these were his favorite kind of mornings. The rain had dried up and it looked like a bright, clear day ahead of them.

Mark decided he was going to work out today, since he had risen so early. He changed into a grey t-shirt and blue athletic shorts as he wandered his way down the long hall towards his basement where he kept the gym. He paused at the white door, remembering Cassie was on the other side. As quietly as he could he opened it, biting a laugh back hard. She seemed to have gotten pretty warm during the night, seeing as she was curled up on top of the blankets, her cute bottom arched up slightly in the air like a baby. Her hair was adorably disheveled as she slept soundly. With a smile he closed the door. He knew she hadn't been getting any decent sleep as of recently. He also knew damn well he was the cause. Couldn't help himself though; he loved being around her.

Two hours later Mark felt better than he did in a long time. His knee was more of a dull ache now compared to the rest of his body, but in a way it felt like some kind of physical cleansing. He trudged up the basement stairs deciding to start some coffee while he'd shower. He heard the shower running upstairs already and assumed Cassie had just woken up.

The phone rang just as Mark started the coffee pot. Giving it a confused glance he picked it up. Not too many people called him at his home, unless it was immensely important. "Hello?"

"Hey big man."

Mark blanched, his blood running cold. He knew that voice anywhere. "…Shawn?"

Shawn Michaels, who was on the other line, laughed. "You sound like you had to think a second, Mark. Forgotten about me already, huh? Its only been what, three months?"

A frown fell on Mark's lips. "I didn't forget, I'm just surprised is all." He paused, mulling over his next words. "So…what is it? Did Vince send ya after me?" His words were a low growl with a hint of bitterness.

There was a long silence on the other line. "Well…yes and no. Vince did send me to try and sweet talk ya back. But in all honesty I wanted to see how my old buddy was doing."

He scoffed. "Old buddy?" They had been at each others throats since they both started in the company. It had only been a couple years that Shawn returned and made amends with him. Only now did they start warming up to each other. So he just had to be here doing Vince's dirty work. "Tell Vince I ain't coming back."

"What? I was told you took a leave of absence. Didn't know it was permanent."

Mark scratched the back of his neck a bit sheepishly. "Well…technically Vince doesn't know it was permanent either. But I kinda like kicking back...working on my own time, ya know?"

Shawn laughed. "Yeah I hear that. I've enjoyed my fair share of retirement too. How's the life treating ya?"

"Good. I've started my own bike repair business, hanging out at Trev's, the usual."

The sandy blonde nodded. He was familiar with the bar, seeing as every time the show stopped in Houston, Mark would drag the guys over there. Wasn't really Shawn's style seeing as there was far to few women there to prowl. "How's…uh, what was her name? Lisa?" Shawn asked.

Mark grumbled, not wanting to have to think about his recent lay. "We broke it off. She wasn't really what I was looking for."

Shawn's eyes popped open. Lisa was quite the dame and knew her way around the bedroom. Knowing how Mark could be, there had to be some ulterior motive behind their separation. "Is that so? Another little number catch your eye then?"

"…Something like that." Mark grumbled again.

"So you _have_ found another woman!"

The tall male rolled his eyes. Why the hell was he telling all of this to him? They weren't even that great of friends. "Yeah. She's really something." He spoke candidly.

"Another blonde dame, huh? Good in the sack?"

"Christ Michaels is that all you think about?!" Strangely enough a younger Mark probably would have inquired the same thing. But that was a different time, and he wasn't about to start thinking of Cassie as some piece of ass.

Shawn's mouth hung open, astonished. "This is Mark I'm talking to, right?"

Mark rolled his eyes yet again, clearly annoyed. The man was starting to get on his nerves. "This one is different, Shawn. She ain't like most women. She's…like a breath of fresh air."

"She's a virgin, isn't she?"

"What the fuck does it matter Michaels?!" Mark snapped. His blood was really starting to boil. Cassie had gotten dressed and was watching from the top of the stairs. His free fist clenched open and closed over and over. "…I gotta go, Shawn. Listen, make sure to let Vince know I ain't coming back any time soon, alright?"

The sandy blonde shook his head, even though his friend couldn't see it. "You know he's gonna come after you big man. I mean you're still under contract aren't ya?" After a lingering silence on Mark's end, he continued. "Look, man, just call Vince and talk to him, okay? He's worried about you."

"Okay." the tall Texan mumbled, hanging up the phone. After putting it back on the receiver, Mark turned towards the stairs to find Cassie staring at him softly. Soft was the only word he could put to her gaze. Other than that it was unreadable. Wasn't sad, or angry, or confused, just soft.

"Just in case, huh?" She said, recalling the conversation from last night. "You never actually retired, did you?"

Mark lowered his head, saying nothing.

Cassie came off the last step, walking towards him. She could never get over how he towered over her. His eyes were on the ground, unwilling to make eye contact. "Why didn't you just say so?"

He was quiet for a long time. Worried, she cupped his chin, raising it and leveling his gaze to hers. With a deep sigh he spoke. "I didn't think you'd stick around like you have…knowing I was just a broken, washed up old man. I wanted to see if you would. If you would still see me."

It was her turn to sigh, and sigh deeply she did. But she gazed up at him with a smile. "Sometimes I can't help but wonder if my words just go in one ear and out the other for you." Squeezing his jaw slightly, she pulled him to her, their faces merely inches apart. "I see you, Mark. I always see you. I've always seen you…even when I wasn't here. Taker don't define who you are, he just helped me find the way to something wonderful." Standing on her tip toes she met his lips with hers in a gentle kiss. Parting, Cassie grinned at him. "Now go take a shower, buddy. You're all sweaty."

Mark laughed, watching her with a smile in his eyes. "Alright little one." He popped her on her rear before making his way upstairs. The abrupt contact made her jump with a yelp. But she couldn't suppress the large smile on her blushing face. Oh, how that man made her smile.

After his shower Mark pulled on a black t-shirt and jeans and made his way back down to the kitchen. The scent of coffee filled his nose as he caught sight of Cassie sitting at the dining room table next to the large bay window. His eyes trailed up her figure hunched over the table. She was wearing a purple flannel shirt today. Halfway buttoned up, with a white tank top underneath. Skinny blue jeans dressed her legs, the denim stretching tightly against her wide hips. One luscious leg crossed over the other, back straight, chin resting in the palm of her hand. She stared out it intently, thinking heavily about something. Her brow was crumpled in that look again. The thinking face. She thinks a lot, he thought. Always so quiet.

He poured himself a cup before taking a seat across from her. "What's got your thoughts in a jumble, little one?"

Her deep mossy green eyes were dulled, clouded with thought. It wasn't until his deep voice fell on her ears that they flickered back to life. They suddenly shone at him with happiness. "You gotta let me work out with you some time. I've been wanting to build a little muscle, just can't seem to get started."

Mark stared at her amusedly. "You wanna work out with me? Is that so?"

"I wanna be tough, ya know? Wanna hold my own." Her pearly whites sparkled in the morning light as she grinned at him. In another instant the smile faltered. "Could always benefit from getting in shape too."

He frowned. "Get in shape?" Mark knew fully well those words when used by most females was code for 'I need to be thinner'. That was the last thing Cassie needed to be. Sure she had some meat on her bones, but it was just right. Specially for her. Made her look tough, strong. As much of a pretty young thing she was, she also looked like she wouldn't hesitate to kick you in the dice if you crossed her wrongly. A body like hers was just what Mark had been looking for. Curvaceous, taught, and still full of life. "Girl you're damn fine just the way you are."

A blush crossed her face, but her eyes fell to the table in a humble stare. "Thanks." He could tell she didn't believe him. Stubborn woman she was. "But I'd still like to give it a shot though. I might look good but that doesn't mean I'm in good shape. I mean I haven't worked out a day in my life aside from PE classes back when I was a kid."

The frown marring his face grew bigger. Cassie was looking for an excuse to change herself. He wished she wouldn't think so low of herself. Why did she refuse to believe she was beautiful? Hell he'd take her right now on the dining room table she was just that beautiful. But he refrained from telling her that, sparing her brain from a blushing overload. Cassie had fallen silent, her gaze returning to the window as she drowned in her thoughts once more. Intently he watched her, knowing there was something else eating at her entirely. Whether she was going to talk about it or not was a whole other question. "You alright darlin?"

Absentmindedly she nodded. "Mhm." Nope, the issue wasn't going to be addressed today. It took him a moment to realize she was watching him. "Do you have materials for pancakes?"

Mark blinked. This was reality, yes? Cassie was asking about pancakes. "I believe so. You want some pancakes darlin?"

"I would like to make some, yes." She said with a laugh. "Whether I will eat them or not is a different story. I bet you're pretty hungry though, hm?"

She was deflecting from her concern. Concern about what, he was still unsure. Mark decided to push it aside for now and just enjoy the fact that she was here with him. "Pancakes do sound pretty damn good right now." he rumbled with a chuckle.

With that Cassie got up from the table, Mark following behind her to the kitchen. He helped her rifle through the cabinets and the fridge for the appropriate ingredients.

"Chocolate chips!" she squealed with joy as she found the bag of chocolate in a cupboard. "You want chocolate chip pancakes?!" Her eyes sparkled with that childlike innocence that he couldn't get enough of. It drew him to her like a magnet.

Mark let out a hearty laugh. "Of course. Can't have just plain pancakes, can we?"

Cassie beamed at him. "Nope. Never." Mark had found her a large mixing bowl and placed it on the table. With all ingredients gathered, she set to work.

"I hope you're a good cook." He mused with a smile.

She cracked a couple of eggs into the bowl. "I like to think so. I can follow recipes like a boss. I would bake a whole bunch of cookies for my roommates in college simply cause I felt like it. Made a lot of pancakes too. Don't know what it was about those two staple foods that I loved making so much. I guess its kinda therapeutic in a way." She opened the bag of flour clumsily, managing to get quite a bit on the counter. "Shit. I might be a decent cook but I can make a hell of a mess." A laugh escaped her lips as she tried to diffuse her embarrassment.

One palm sat firmly on the marble countertop, propping him up. His long frame leaned against the counter mere inches away from her. The heat radiating from the proximity of their bodies was intoxicating. With a smile he swept up some flour with his large finger, brushing it on the tip of her nose. Not a word was uttered as he watched her with a wide grin. He had to bite back a laugh watching her stare at her powdered nose cross-eyed. Slowly Cassie's fingers grazed the remaining flour on the counter, both hands lifting to the sides of his face. She giggled at the prospect of seeing her white handprints on the sides of his jaw.

"Little girl...you're gonna pay for that." Mark growled with a smile as he moved to prod her ribs, eliciting bubbly laughter from her. Brow knitted in a playful furrow, he continued to tickle her. Her giggles had erupted into a full-blown laughter, her knees buckling beneath her as she sank to the floor. His attack was relentless though, as he even followed her onto the ground. Cassie was laughing so hard tears fell from her eyes and her ribs ached.

Mark found his face was starting ache as well from how much he had smiled this morning. This girl made him smile more in a few days than he ever had his whole life. Her laughter was almost like a drug it was so contagious.

The laughter gradually died on her lips when she finally opened her eyes, seeing his olive green orbs staring directly at her. They both lay on the floor; his large frame hovered over her, propped on his elbows. She could feel his warm breath on her lips he was so close. Ever so slowly he lowered his lips onto hers, brushing them lightly in a gentle kiss.

One kiss. It definitely wasn't their first, but there was something different about this one. She wasn't quite sure what it was about this one that sparked a small flame in the pit of her stomach. It was like the warmth she felt kissing him last night, except different. More intense, like electricity coursing from his lips to hers.

The warmth was dissipating as he lifted himself from her. No, Cassie thought. Come back. She wanted more. Mark was eliciting feelings from her she hadn't known before. New, intriguing feelings that she wanted to know more about. Quick as a wink her hands came to the sides of his face once more, this time pulling him down to her roughly in a deeper kiss. Mark took the hint, crushing his lips over hers. His tongue prodded against the seam of her lips, almost demanding entrance. Willingly she let him in, letting him taste and explore. She could feel him shift his weight to one elbow as his other hand drifted to the dip in her waist, trailing up her side and back down, finding the hem of her shirt. Slowly his big calloused hand stroked her soft skin. The contact made her jump at first. She quivered from the touch with a moan as her small hands grasped at his shirt in an attempt to pull him even closer to her. Her tongue twisted with his before eventually pushing past his lips and tasting his warm mouth. The sensation was near mind numbing.

Cassie was finding it hard to think. The only comprehensible thought she could muster was how yummy he tasted, or how amazing his hand felt on her skin. No man had ever touched her like this. It was all so new and at the same time so nice. The fact that she got to experience all of this for the first time with Mark, the man of her dreams, made her heart swell with happiness. A month ago she may have regretted moving so far away from everything she knew. Knowing that this would be the prospect though…made everything worth it. Cassie realized Mark was all she would ever need in her life.

She pulled away from him to seek air, their faces only inches apart. His breathing was labored, the heat of his desire pouring from him onto her, almost scorching her body. Cassie gasped heavily, her love for this man shining bright in her eyes. "You," her words were a faint whisper on her lips. "You don't know how happy you make me."


	10. Chapter 10

Sorry! Sorry Sorry Sorry Sorry Sorry! I realize absolutely nothing all that important is happening and I'm sorry. XP To be honest I first published this story with no real plan on where I wanted it to go, except for the ending...but that doesn't help a writer none. I usually try not to write outlines because I feel like once the ideas are out there, my mind has less incentive to continue writing. I have no idea why. I know thats a bad thing, and I'm trying to work on it so I can try writing my first coherent story and actually complete it. Right now I think this slow trudge of short chapters is helpful in kind of easing me from one plot point to another. So just bear with me. I'm hoping something interesting will happen by next chapter. Keyword hoping. But flashbacks are fun, right? xD

* * *

" _What are ya watching?" Cassie asked as she plopped on the couch next to her father._

 _George smiled at her. "Wrestling. What else? Its survivor series tonight. Its a big deal."_

 _Her eyes grew wide with curiosity. "Can I watch?"_

 _He looked intently at his little girl. She tried so desperately hard to fit in and be like her brothers. Would always ask to watch whatever they were watching, or to play with them, or hang out with them. She tried so hard to be a big kid. But whereas they were growing into hormonal teenagers, she was only eight, and seen as a nuisance to them. In a way George was all she had. "Sure, little one."_

 _She giggled at the "American dream" theme music, watching the dream team file into the ring. They were just about to go up against Ted Dibiase and his million dollar team, including a mystery partner that had yet to be revealed. She listened with rapt attention as her father named off each wrestler and explained a little about them._

" _Daddy I want glasses like those!" Cassie said laughing as she pointed to Brett Hart on the television, wearing his trademark shades._

 _George laughed. "We'll go looking for them the next time we go shopping, okay?" She nodded in response and intently watched the million dollar team enter._

 _She pointed at The Honky Tonk man. "Is that Elvis?"_

" _Naw honey, Elvis died in the seventies. That's one of the rhythm and blues guys."_

" _They look silly wearing just coats and underwear." George chuckled at his daughter's commentary. He loved watching television with her because she would make funny comments like this, no matter what show they watched._

 _Ted Dibiase came in next, strutting like a Peacock. "His hair looks so fluffy…Daddy his face is so red. He looks like a tomato." Cassie said. The two of them watched as he paraded to the middle of the ring with a microphone._

" _As I've said many times before, everyone's got a price! So without further ado, I will introduce to you now my mystery partner. I give you, The Undertaker!"_

 _A tower of black, thats what he was. He was tall, cloaked in a long black trench coat. A brimmed hat held his face in shadow. His movements were slow as he trudged his way toward the ring._

" _Whoa." George echoed Cassie's thoughts perfectly._

 _Being shed of his coat, tie and hat, The Undertaker was revealed in full form. His skin was pale but fair. His arms were long and thick, strong, but almost unnatural. His long, full mane looked soft to the touch, red as the scruff on his chiseled jaw. Piercing green eyes bore into his opponents, cold and lifeless, accentuated by the purple coloring underneath them. Near seven feet tall, he towered over all the other men in the ring._

 _George watched the camera cut to the crowd, catching the terrified faces of the children with their parents. Concerned, his eyes drifted to Cassie. "He's scary, huh?"_

 _Her eyes were glued to the tall man, mesmerized. Fear was far from what she felt in her heart, looking at him. Her words were a quiet murmur as she looked on, completely entranced. "He's beautiful, daddy."_

So beautiful.

"Cass? You alright?"

She blinked her mossy green eyes, finding his olive green orbs staring back at her. They sat across from each other at island counter top in the kitchen, a plate stacked high with chocolate chip pancakes in front of both of them. A big smile spread across her face. "More than alright."

Mark quirked an eyebrow at her. "What were ya thinking about?"

She was silent for a moment before deciding to tell him, figuring he'd find out eventually. "The first time I saw you. I was eight years old when you debuted."

"Yeah?" he smiled at her.

Cassie slowly started eating her pancakes. "I was watching that survivor series with my dad." She paused. "He's beautiful, daddy. Thats what I said."

Mark just about choked on his food. " _Beautiful_? Girl I damn well had kids frightened and you thought I was _beautiful_?!" It was a strange thought but at the same time flattering. He could feel his cheeks turn a tinge pink.

"I think its safe to say that I wasn't like most kids." She said with a laugh. "Needless to say I was hooked. There was just something about the phenom that was so enticing. There was no other character like him. You were really something special to be able to pull him off. Can't say I'd ever believe I would meet the man himself even if you told me back then."

So fate would have it, Mark thought with a smirk. "So you've been watching me all this time, huh?"

She shook her head. "Up until a little while after Kane debuted, my mom started throwing a fit, yammering on about the how violent and raunchy the attitude era was becoming. So I was banned from watching it. Didn't pick it up again until my freshman year of college, thankfully my roommate was a big wrestling fan too. But it just wasn't as interesting."

Mark's smile faltered. "It wasn't, huh?"

A smile was pulling at her lips. "Nope. A certain red head was missing in action. I didn't pay much attention until the last day of the semester. It was May I think."

It took a minute for Mark to process exactly what moment in time she was talking about. Once it did he started smiling again. Judgement day had to be the event, he recalled. Cassie thought back to that day.

 _Cassie came into their small dorm room to find Jamie practically glued to the television, watching judgement day. "Girl, you're just in time for wrestling!"_

 _She pushed her stick straight brunette hair out of her face. With a shrug she went across the room to grab her text book. She had an art history exam she desperately needed to study for. "I was never all that interested in it." And that was the truth. In the past she tried to watch matches that the Undertaker didn't participate in, and she just couldn't get excited. Seeing some old faces she recognized, like Triple H or Shawn Michaels, made her smile, but she couldn't make herself interested. Only Taker could get her heart riled up._

 _Jamie stuck her tongue out at her. "You just don't give a shit because deadman isn't around." Her thin lips faded into a smile, making dimples in her rosy freckled cheeks. She knew damn well the Undertaker was her roommate's favorite._

" _Yeah? What's wrong with that? You'd be the same exact way if Kane disappeared." Cassie found it funny that they butted heads over who was the better sibling in the brothers of destruction. She didn't remember too much about Kane, seeing as her mother made her stop watching just after he debuted. He was a neat character in his own right, and she supported him fully, but he just wasn't as good as his brother. Kane didn't capture her heart the way Taker did. Jamie would beg to differ, believing that Taker only became more relevant because of his brother. They joked constantly, Jamie saying Cassie could have Taker, and she would have Kane, and they'd go on the road together with their men and live happily ever after._

" _Point taken. Come hang out with me anyway. Haven't seen you in a while." her red-headed roommate patted the seat next to her on the futon on which she slept. Cassie lofted her bed just above her, giving them space for a small entertainment center, consisting of a television and Nintendo 64._

 _It was true. Cassie didn't like to spend to much time inside or around people. It wasn't like she was trying to avoid Jamie, she just preferred her solitude. Thankfully her friend understood that and left to her own devices most of the time. Usually Cass would be out riding the bus watching the world go by or go for long walks and meditate on her life._

 _With a sigh Cassie sat down next to her roommate, opening her book. She was getting pretty good at shutting everything out except whatever book or fan fiction she was reading. Her straight brown hair acted like a curtain separating her from the world as she hunched over her text book._

 _It was near the end of the show when it happened. The Rock and Triple H were facing off in an Iron Man match, beating the living hell out of each other. Down the ramp the McMahons suddenly appeared, making their way to the ring. They tried to interfere in the match, hopefully getting Triple H the win, but The Rock knocked them effortlessly out of the ring. Road Dog and X-Pac shortly followed, trying to thwart the people's champion._

 _A noise, like a roar of thunder, suddenly drew the audience's attention to the titantron. Everyone in the ring, however, was more preoccupied with Triple H gaining the victory._

"… _Holy shit." Jamie muttered, giving Cassie cause to glance at the screen. Three little girls were chanting something strange as a montage of creepy imagery of them flashed across the screen. It was odd whatever it was, but she couldn't pull her eyes away. There was a faint hope fluttering in her heart._

" _He's heeeeeere…" the girls sang. Her heart leaped into her throat. The entrance music was not the funeral march she recognized, then again it was barely distinguishable over the ear piercing screams of the audience. In came big red speeding down the isle on a motorcycle. The textbook she was holding slipped through her fingers and fell to the wood floor with a thud._

" _Oh my god…" her voice was a breathless squeak. Her heart was racing at a dangerous pace, tears threatening to fall from her eyes. It had to have been only three years since she last saw her deadman. At a glance it didn't seem very long ago, but to her it was like an eternity. It was like the very first time she set her eyes on him, even at eight years of age, she was immediately enamored. When her mother forbid her from watching wrestling, she was heart broken. But she didn't dare defy her mother. She was an obedient child, hated to cause trouble. So she stayed away from it, until college, when Jamie came in her life and helped her grow more independent._

 _Cassie was baffled by his sudden appearance, but pleasantly surprised. He looked so...different, but she knew it was him. Her heart ached to see him. He was wearing a denim vest, tight black jeans and long black leather coat. A dark blue bandana covered his forehead, shades hid his eyes. His hair was back to its natural red and so long, still looking as soft as ever. Her heart swelled with joy at his return, but at the same time felt conflicted. This wasn't her supernatural superhero she loved. This was a different man before her._

 _The camera followed him straight to the ring, where he proceeded to climb in and choke slam everyone except The Rock, favoring him to win. He choke slammed Triple H, following up with a classic Tombstone. Something about it seemed…different though. Like there was hesitance in his movements._

" _Seems like the big guy put on a few extra pounds." Jamie scoffed, but it fell on deaf ears. Her roommate was entranced._

 _Cassie watched on with reluctance. Was this still her deadman? As he exited the ring he gave one look directly to the camera, gritting his teeth and rolling his eyes backward. She smiled. This man was obviously trying to keep some semblance of his old self with this new character. She had to admit, without the makeup and ghoulish clothing, he was even more ruggedly handsome. She could feel herself blush at the sight of him._

 _Unfortunately the match did not end as he hoped, making him the cause of one last disqualification giving a win to Triple H. Taker was so pissed, he angrily stalked referee Shawn Michaels out of the arena, with Triple H and the McMahons in tow._

 _Jamie whistled, shaking her head. Her long red curls bobbed with her. "I can't believe he's back. You gotta admit though that was a shit way to bring him back, making Triple H win."_

" _Yeah." Cassie mumbled. "He wasn't trying to let that happen, though." Her gaze was still locked to the screen, the show well over._

 _Jamie raised an eyebrow at her roommate. Cassie was defending him, like she always did. Jamie shook her head. "Girl you have it bad for him, don't you?"_

 _Cassie blushed again, a grin spreading across her face. "Who wouldn't? He's so handsome."_

 _Her roommate rolled her bright blue eyes. "Sure he is, Cass."_

Who would have thought she got a wrestling fan for a roommate? Cassie smiled. Jamie was something else. She was brash and as tomboy as a tomboy could be. She had a bit of an attitude on her. if someone didn't sit right with her she wasn't afraid to express how badly she wanted to wring their neck to their face. Cassie was thankful they had met. If it weren't for Jamie she would probably still be stuck as the hollow shell of a human she used to be.

"Earth to Cass." Mark chuckled. He had leaned forward, hunching over the table to bring his eyes to her line of sight.

She blinked again. "Hm?" she hummed with a smile.

His laugh was low and deep, rough, it made her shiver. "Girl you're drowning in your thoughts."

"Only a little." her pancakes had gone cold, but she finished them none the less. Mark had finished his a while ago. "Hasn't killed me yet."

A flash of a frown crossed his face only for a moment. It was an odd comment at the most but he let it slide. Over the past few days he came to realize she had a tendency to say things that most would claim to be a bit concerning, but half the time she would wave it off, not realizing what had come out of her mouth until it had been pointed out to her. "Was just thanking you for the pancakes darlin, they were great."

She blushed. "You're welcome. And thank you." Gathering the dishes she took them to the sink to wash them, losing herself in her thoughts again.

It was always Jamie's dream to run away. To where, she didn't know. She wouldn't stop talking about how Glenn Jacobs would sweep her off her feet and whisk her away to paradise where they'd marry and live in a house in the woods and she'd spend every evening wrapped up in his arms staring into the sunset. But once they both got their degrees, the truth of her reality finally began to set in, and she gave up on such foolish dreams. Instead she continued her education to pursue a masters in creative writing. Her and Cassie loved to collaborate on writing fantasies where they'd both be rescued by their favorite brothers of destruction.

In a way the two of them were a lot alike. Where Cassie was timid and shy, Jamie was proud to be an outspoken bitch. In the end they both were in love with the concept of love, and hopeless romantics, pining for men way out of their reach. In fact they had both gotten blue rose tattoos together to seal their bond as friends. Cassie stifled a laugh. If only Jamie could see her now. On the brink of a cursing fit and calling bullshit on her best friend. She'd probably come to Texas to demand every day that Mark bring her Glenn.

A frown graced her features. Sure, she missed her family, but having to disappear on Jamie really broke her heart. To her, Jamie was her best friend, her confidant, and the only one who would understand exactly how Cassie felt about her life.

Mark sighed as he watched her. "Cassie you keep spacing out on me like this then I'll have to resort to tickling ya again. We don't want that now, do we?"

A smile flashed across her face, but Cassie didn't bother to meet his gaze. "I suppose not." There was a quiet yet playful tone to her voice. Quick as a wink her thinking face took over again. Before he opened his mouth to ask, she spoke. "When do you have to go back to work?" She walked back to the counter and sat down.

Ah. Mark mulled the thought over in his head. This is probably what she had been thinking so hard about this morning. "Not sure as of yet. I wanna say not till the knee is operational, but if anything I'll have to be back for Wrestlemania."

He watched a small smirk fall on her a lips as she sipped her coffee. "Of course. Taker can't be missing the biggest event of the year."

"Which will be the middle of March. The fourteenth I think." He thought scratching the scruff on his jaw. He realized he hadn't shaved in a while, and it was due time for one. His eyes fell to hers, finally noticing how visibly frozen she was, staring at him. Yes, that was only three months away. Hardly enough time for a stable relationship. He watched as her heart sank, the emotion unyielding from her face.

She shook her head, pushing the emotions to the back of her mind. She'd worry about it when the time came. "Big evil gonna come back from the dead and kick some ass?" Her eyes watched his coffee mug lift to his lips as he took a sip.

"Actually," He paused. "I was thinking of coming back as the Deadman."

The look of surprise on her face made him chuckle. "Really? You're gonna bring back the deadman?" Cassie seemed almost too eager at this news. "Don't get me wrong, I knew the big evil was more of a representation of you as a person, and he was pretty awesome. But I can't deny my love for the Phenom."

They both chuckled into another silence. Mark frowned. She sure wasn't very talkative today. He wondered why. A part of him considered asking her to come with him while he traveled. No he thought. It was too soon. Way too soon. For both of them. Yes he liked this girl well enough but they had three months ahead of them. To him, all the time in the world to bond with one another.

The two of them spent the rest of the afternoon together, talking, laughing, enjoying one another's company. It seemed like only minutes had passed for them when in fact it was five pm.

Cassie glanced at the clock. "Trevor is expecting me soon. I should go." She stood, making her way to her stairs to retrieve her things.

Mark stood as well. "Where are you going?" His question made her pause on the first step.

An eyebrow quirked at him in confusion. "Uh…to get my things?"

He shifted his weight to one side, hands on his hips as he stared at her with a slight smile. "So you ain't coming back tonight?"

A brief silence fell between them as her eyes searched around her, as if she was unsure of herself. "Um…I can if you'd like me to." Mark let out a lumbering laugh.

"Girl what in your right mind thinks I wouldn't want you to?"


	11. Chapter 11

The clean cloth moved in small slow circles as Cassie stared into the polished wood of the bar top absentmindedly. The usual crowd of regulars was in Trev's tonight. Their bustling and socializing had become normalcy, the white noise constantly making her mind drift out of focus. Her mind drifted to a lot of things, like the kiss with Mark from last night. Cassie was always a goof when it came to making out or foreplay or whatnot. Last night with Mark though, he had sort of led the way, and she found it was easier to follow along. Maybe it was just better with someone of more experience, cause she obviously felt arousal even within herself. Something about him made her feel safe. And normal. She didn't feel like an inexperienced idiot with him, she just felt like a woman. A loved woman. A wanted woman. It was nice.

Cassie blushed as the thought crossed her mind. The thought that if she hadn't gotten so spooked, or if they had just picked up where they left off…she would have been more willing to go further. Her lips curled into a smile.

She also thought of home. More or less of Jamie. She missed her best friend and wished desperately she could be here with her. It would've been nice to know someone down here in Houston.

Her thoughts also trailed to Bill.

She had practically forgotten the ordeal that happened less than a week ago, but she didn't forget the man who was the cause. Bill still came in every night whether Mark was there or not, and every night he would be stealing glances at her multiple times within the evening. His stares at first were anxious and scared, like a cornered animal waiting to pounce if Mark lunged at him. But tonight…he was looking at her almost…hungrily. It made for an unsettling feeling in her stomach. She held her tongue though, she didn't want to bother Trevor nor kick Bill out in case she was just imagining things.

It probably didn't help that Mark wasn't here. Bill was probably feeling more than confident tonight because of this. Boy did Cassie wish Mark was here. He had given her a ride to work earlier, once again on his bike. He had said he was going for a long ride today just for the hell of it, and he'd be back later to pick her up. Of course she had to be her stupid self and say it was totally fine. But now she was wishing he was here more than ever.

"Girl why are you so quiet today?" Concern was etched on Trevor's face. He was leaning across the bar to her. "Was Mark acting like an ass last night?"

Snapping out of her daze, she laughed at him. "No. He was more than wonderful. Just have a lot on my mind." She paused. "Did you know he's not actually retired?"

His dark eyebrows shot up. "Really?" He frowned as he processed her words. "I suppose that means he'll be disappearing soon, huh?"

Her flannel clad shoulders rose and fell in a shrug. It was still a ways away but at the same time not long enough to her. "Probably not until the middle of March."

"I'm sorry Cass."

She chuckled sarcastically. "Trev, I'm a big girl. If he needs to go to work then I can deal with it."

"I know you are girlie." With a smile and a pat on the counter he made the rounds around the bar. As he moved from her line of sight Bill came into view directly behind him, his dark brown eyes were watching her still.

Cassie frowned and shook it off as she went to the back room to grab another crate of beer.

It was about eight in the evening when she felt it. Her phone vibrated in her back pocket.

Cassie froze. No one, _literally_ no one had her number aside from Trev. Hell not even Mark yet. She had left her old cell phone back in Minnesota and gotten a new one once she got to Houston, with a new number so she couldn't be contacted by anyone from her old life. Trevor was here so who in the world had any need for her right now?

"Trev," She whispered as he passed by the bar top again. "Are you cool if I take my fifteen?"

Her employer nodded, seeing the apprehension in her face. "Sure thing. You okay Cass?"

She flashed a smile at him so as not to worry him. "Yep. Just need to make a quick phone call." Only a tiny lie. She had to check her phone and whatever she found would most likely end in a phone call either way. She tossed her rag on a hook and made her way quickly out the back door. The sun was starting to fall, making the warm air start to cool. It was pleasantly refreshing. Upon yanking her phone out of her pocket and checking the number, her breath caught in her throat.

The area code was one she recognized. It was from Minnesota. In fact it was the area code of her college town. Her eyes studied the rest of the number.

She had seen this number before. She just couldn't place who it belonged to. It had to have belonged to a friend. She finally breathed again when she saw it was a text message, and not a call. She flipped open her phone and looked at the text.

 **Girl I swear to God this better be you! Your parents are fucking worried sick. Call me!**

Cassie's heart stopped. Jamie. It had to be her. No one else would have that area code and be this concerned about her. Her heart was racing dangerously with anxiety. What was she gonna do? What the hell was she gonna say to her? Before she could think any further her fingers had punched in Jamie's number, all she had to do was hit call.

Fuck, what was she gonna tell her? She only had fifteen minutes, so she couldn't tell her too much. She'd have to talk to her after work. But if Cassie didn't at least courtesy call her now, it would be on her mind eating at her all evening.

She hit call. Her heart felt like it would explode out of her chest as she listened to each ring. God, she thought, calm down girl. She was getting a little light headed.

One ring. Then two. Three rings.

"Hello?!"

Jamie's voice sounded like a mix of panic and exasperation. At the sound of her voice Cassie could feel tears in her eyes. She braced herself against the back wall of Trev's. Suddenly her knees buckled under her, making her slide down the wall, the bricks scraping against her flannel shirt. She cupped a hand over her mouth, her voice failing to bring itself forward. Instead she let out a breathy whisper. "Jamie…"

"…Oh my God, _Cassie_! It _is_ you! Girl where the _fuck_ are you?!"

Tears spilled from her eyes in a steady stream as she sat on the concrete in a ball. "…Jamie…I…can't…" The sobs were obvious in Cassie's voice. She must be a goddamn mess. She sighed, trying to gain her bearings.

"Girl, breathe. Everything's okay. Just calm yourself, take deep breaths, and talk to me." Jamie was always the most rational and calm out of the two of them. If there was ever a more emotional nutcase at times, it was Cassie.

An abrupt cough to clear her throat escaped her lips. "Its _sooo_ good to h-hear your voice…" her words faded into a dying chuckle.

Now Jamie was starting to choke up. "Fuck, you don't even _know_. I almost thought you were dead! Hell your parents think you're dead!"

Cassie face palmed. "I-I-I left them a n-note. I told them I'd be b-back eventually."

"Cassie, its your parents. They get worried when you stay out till the wee hours of the morning with friends." There was a brief silence. "Its your mom mostly." Jamie said softly. "You know how anxious she gets."

Cassie could feel her heart pang in her chest. "Jamie…if you see them, please, tell them that I am okay." A sigh left her mouth. "Actually, I'm more than okay. You wouldn't believe what happened to me."

"Yeah?" Crap, now her interest was piqued. Jamie wasn't gonna be able to let this go. "How so? Where _are_ you exactly?"

She pushed herself off from the ground, dusting off her jeans. "Look, I can't talk right now. I'm at work and I'm on a break at the moment. I promise I'll call you as soon as I get home, okay? I promise." Her last two words were in the most deep, somber voice, punctuating how serious she was.

Jamie took note of the tone in her voice and decided to let her go for now. "Okay…I'll be here. Love ya, girl."

Cassie closed her eyes. "See ya, Jaim." She flipped her phone shut, deciding to take a moment to regroup before returning to work. The cool evening air was working wonders at drying her stray tears. God she could use a hug right now, she thought. She wondered when Mark would be coming by. Hopefully soon.

"Little girl," A familiar, but unwelcome voice called out to her in a deep drawl, making her tall frame tense up.

She turned to face the shadowed man. It took a minute for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. "…Bill?"

His large figure large figure lunged at her, pinning her against the brick wall. She grunted roughly at the force.

He lowered his lips to her ear, his hot breath on her skin sending unwanted signals to her brain. He reeked of whiskey.

"Where's big red, huh little girl? Looks like I've got ya all to myself." he purred into her ear. He must be drunk off his ass, she thought. This was no good.

Now would have been a good time for Mark to show up, she screamed internally. The thoughts started to make her panic, tears were threatening to fall from her eyes. "Bill get the fuck off me!" She tried her best to still herself, to calm down, unwilling to give him the satisfaction of having a scared little deer for prey. The uncontrollable shaking of her body, however, was beyond her control.

Bill trailed hot wet rough kisses up her neck as one hand slid down to the belt of her jeans. The other held her right arm firmly in place.

No, Cassie thought, watching him get closer. Only Mark was allowed to kiss these lips! Her gaze fell to their feet. Was there enough space? Yes, yes there was. Using all the focus she could muster, she brought her knee right up to his gut as hard as she could. It seemed to be enough, as he staggered backward, doubling over in pain.

"You're gonna pay for that ya little spitfire!"

Cassie wasted no time getting away from Bill. Panic had taken over the rationality of her brain, telling her to dart towards the road where she could be seen.

Oh, how she should've gone back into the bar. Trevor would've taken care of this. But her legs took her in the other direction.

"Get back here!" Bill bellowed after her, following closely…or to the best of his ability seeing how much more fit she was than him.

Mark was feeling so much better after the long ride on his bike. They always left him feeling refreshed and relaxed. He had gone pretty far today, he mused quietly, wishing Cassie could've gone with him. Pulling his motorcycle into Trev's lot, he killed the engine and dismounted, about to walk into the bar when something caught his eye.

There wasn't an explanation for why he just so happened to look down the road next to the bar, but later on he knew he would be thankful he did.

Mark frowned and strained his eyes. There was a woman running to the road, her golden hair bobbing against her shoulders. "…Cassie?" He muttered loudly, suddenly seeing a figure running after her. It was a large man from what he could tell at a distance. Where the man stopped at the curb of the road, however, Cassie did not.

Just get away, she thought. Just get away. Cassie kept stealing glances backwards at Bill who was still close on her tail. Suddenly he stopped. Why did he stop? She wouldn't stop though. She couldn't stop, she screamed at herself as her legs pounded on the pavement.

While turning her gaze back ahead, she caught a glimpse of a tall figure standing in the lot of Trev's a ways away. She could pick out his auburn hair from afar. Mark had spotted her, looking thoroughly confused. She felt a wash of relief rush over her at the sight of him.

Thank god, she thought. But why wouldn't her legs stop moving?

"CASSIE!" Mark's voice was already a dull roar from how far away he was, it didn't help that it was practically being eaten by the high pitched screech blaring in her ears.

Cassie froze. Wait, what?

* * *

Shorter than short. I know. I'm sorry. XP It was actually longer but I decided to cut it here because suspense. :3


	12. Chapter 12

Dayyyyyum this is the longest chapter yet. XD and to think I wanted to lump 11 and 12 together. In a way I was kinda holding off on this chapter for dramatic effect but then like five days passed and I realized I hadn't even finished it, so I figured I'd do that and finally give ya the next installment. X)

* * *

Mark felt the air rush out of his lungs as he watched the large blue truck try its damnedest to stop before colliding with her. Thankfully it managed to slow to a stop, only to kiss her forcefully with its grill. It didn't look too rough, just enough to send her sprawling onto her ass on the pavement.

It didn't take long for Mark to get to her, with the big strides he was taking, it was like he was flying. His knee screamed in protest but he didn't give a flying fuck so long as he got to Cassie. The figure running after her had caught up to her as well.

On closer inspection he noticed it was Bill. He didn't like that it was Bill, not one bit, he thought. Just what the fuck was he doing to make her run into the road like that?! His blood began to boil. His mind was running wild with anger thinking of the brawl they had earlier in the week and what the man had done to provoke it. Coming up to the pair he grabbed Bill by the collar of his shirt and brought him to eye level.

"What the fuck did you do?!" Mark snarled, his eyes burning with murderous intent. He looked like a wild animal.

Panic filled the other man's eyes at the sensation of air between his feet and the road. The giant _actually_ managed to lift him off the ground. "M-m-m-Mark I—" He firmly believed he was going to die right in this spot judging by the look in the beast's olive eyes.

Before he could say another word Mark tossed him onto the asphalt. He lunged on him with a barrage of heavy fists, unwilling to let up. Bill was terrified as he struggled to break free, wondering if he might actually die right there.

"Ugh," Cassie groaned as she sat up. The driver had come out of the cab of his truck and was crouched down beside her.

Mark's heart was racing at the sound of her voice. He turned back to Bill, his broad, tall torso crouched over him like a shadow. "Get the fuck out of here before I kill you." His voice was deep and deadly as he climbed to his feet. Without missing a beat Bill ran to his bike and sped out of Trev's lot. Mark growled at him, watching him leave before coming to Cassie's side. "Baby girl, you okay?"

She looked at him silently before back at her own body. Her heart was racing. Thankfully though the impact wasn't nearly as hard as she thought it would be. Thankfully. She wiggled her toes. In tact. Fingers, yep they were okay too. Bent one leg and then the other, they seemed fine. Rolled neck side to side. Neck was fine. Cassie rolled her wrists.

Mark watched her flinch slightly at pain she seemed to be feeling in her left wrist.

"I think I'm okay." she said flatly. Mark had to bite back a laugh and even the driver smirked.

"Little one, I think something might be wrong with your wrist."

Cassie stared at her limb and shrugged. "It hurts yeah. I probably just sprained it or something." She looked at the driver. "Sorry to run out in front of you like that. I think we'll be okay now."

The driver looked at Mark, who just nodded at him. With that he went off on his way, leaving the big texan to study the woman. He could see faint red welts and teeth marks on her neck.

He clenched his fists. "That son of a bitch…Cassie what did Bill do to you?!" his voice was an indistinguishable roar.

She looked up at him with wide eyes, a slight fear etched in them. Mark bit his tongue, remembering to reign in his temper. With a deep breath he wrapped his arms around her. "Sorry for shouting, little one. Now what did he do?"

He felt her body relax only slightly in his warmth. "He was trying to force himself on me. Didn't get very far though, cause I put my knee in his gut and ran off." She felt the rumbling in his chest as he chuckled.

"Atta girl. I'm proud of you." His large hand rubbed her shoulder fondly. Suddenly his grip tightened on her. "I'm sorry I wasn't here for you baby girl." Cassie looked up at his face at the sound of his voice that had sank to a quiet whisper.

Mark moved to stand up, pulling her up to stand with him. "We're gonna take you to get looked at. I wanna make sure your arm ain't broke."

Her mossy green eyes frowned at him. "Mark that isn't necessary. Besides, I'm still on the clock."

He just about laughed. "Girl you're worried about getting back to work? I'm sure Trev will understand."

She gazed down at her stomach, conflicted. Going back into a dark bar and being around a bunch of guys that looked just like Bill unsettled her. "You think maybe he'll let me go home at least?" she whispered, making Mark smile at her.

"I'm sure he will. You ready to go home?" he asked as they both went back to the bar.

She nodded.

When they got inside they explained the situation to their dark haired friend. Trevor shook his head. "Seriously, what the hell is with me missing all this drama? I'm almost starting to doubt you guys."

Cassie laughed, feeling Mark's arm came around her waist. "You sure you're okay with me heading out early?"

He nodded, eyes scanning over the room. "Yeah, its quieted down for the night, I can handle it."

Both men watched her brow knit into a troubled frown. "Don't let Bill back in here, okay?" Her voice was quiet and unsure, as if she didn't know if that was the right call to make. She felt that large arm of Mark's tighten its grip on her. Trevor looked pretty riled up too.

"Don't worry Cass. He ain't coming back in here." Suddenly his face softened. "Pretty sure he's terrified of this lummox over here."

Mark rolled his eyes. "We'll see you tomorrow then, Trev." He nodded at them and with that they left the bar.

There was a brief silence before she decided to cut the tense situation. His big hands came around her waist as he hoisted her up and gently set her on the leather seat of his royal blue harley. "You need to invite Trev out to your place for dinner or a beer or something. He's almost too nice to me."

He chuckled roughly. "If that's the case why don't you invite him out to your house?"

She frowned. "You already know how I feel about people being around my dinky ass shack."

Mark laughed.

Cassie was happy to ride the bike with Mark again. On her request they stopped at her home so she could grab some more clothes to take to his place. She wasn't in the mood to be by herself tonight. Plus she already told Mark earlier in the morning that she'd come back with him.

Soon enough they were back on the way to his home. If it was at all possible it seemed colder that night in Texas. But she smiled and pressed her face into his back seeking his warmth, hugging him tighter. It wasn't to hard to find. He was practically a big radiator. At her need to get closer Mark smiled, but he noted she was favoring her wrist a bit. She should really get that looked at, he debated with himself.

He laughed. Cassie would probably still be firmly against going to the hospital.

Once more the ride ended all too quickly. As Mark pulled into his garage Cassie climbed off the bike, waiting for him to park and dismount himself. She followed him into his house, the warmth soothing her chilled cheeks.

"Its a bit colder than usual tonight. What's say I build a fire?" Mark asked as he went to go make coffee.

Her gaze ran to the fireplace she had spotted in the living room. She loved fireplaces. "That sounds like an awesome idea." She followed him. "Do you have any hot chocolate?"

Mark looked at her. Damn, this girl was gonna make him go into diabetic shock from the sweets she consumed.

A devilish smile pulled at his lips. Hell she was a sweet in her own right. "I think I might have some. Why don't you go get yourself a hot shower? It'll be ready for you when you come down."

Cassie grinned and started up the stairs. "Thank you, Mark." She went into the guest room and threw her clothes down on the carpeted floor next to the other pile of clothes she had left. Walking into the guest bathroom she turned on the hot water and shed her clothes. Stepping into the shower felt like immense relief as soon as the water hit her back. She could feel all the anxiety and drama of today get caught up in each bead of water that pelted her skin and roll off her body. Soaping up every inch of her body she thought about Mark and that weird smile he gave her before she came up to the room. He looked about ready to play, she thought with a small giggle.

She wasn't quite sure if she was up to play just yet, but curling up with him by the fireplace sounded like a damn good time right now. Standing under the water she rinsed of and started washing her hair. With a shrug she figured she would let the chips fall where they may tonight. Mark was a good guy, she knew she could trust him to respect her if she ended up uncomfortable.

All done, she shut the water off, stepping out and drying herself with a big fluffy towel. She suddenly remembered she needed to call Jamie. Her heart started racing with anxiety again.

She walked into the bedroom and slipped on a bra and panties, as well as her favorite baggy sweats to sleep in. They were a deep black with a large Undertaker symbol in embroidered in purple on the outside of her left pant leg. Hopefully Mark wouldn't mind the advertising. But she was gonna take comfy over seduction tonight, she thought with a smirk. Grabbing a dark grey tank she slid that over her as well.

A deep sigh left Cassie's lips as she picked up her jeans, fishing out her phone. She might as well get this over with. The sooner the better, so she could snuggle with Mark.

She dialed Jamie's number and hit call.

One ring. Two rings. A third. Four rings. Cassie glanced at the clock. It was almost ten. She doubted Jamie would be asleep by now.

Speak of the devil. "Cassie! Finally! Where the hell are you working at so late?"

"Jaim before I go telling you a single thing, you have to promise me that everything stays between you and me. _No one_ can know where I am. Not even my family. They're the last people I want to talk to right now. Nor are they allowed to have this number."

She could hear her friend scoff on the other line. "That's a little harsh Cass, don't you think? Its not like they tried to force you into a convent or something. Hell they didn't _do_ anything."

Cassie smiled. "I know. You know why I don't want to be home though."

"I guess, but still Cass…" If there was one thing Jamie failed to understand about her best friend, it was the animosity she held with her family. With the girl's brothers she could understand, but her parents hadn't done a damn thing to her. All they did was take care of her, and yet she still spoke almost all the time about leaving home, like they were a disease or something. Maybe she was never got that Minnesotan mentality of the importance of family, and how important it was to keep them close. Jamie sighed. "Okay, I promise I won't tell them anything."

"Alright." She felt herself laugh. "I've been working at a bar."

"A bar?" her red-headed best friend didn't sound all that panicked about the idea. She was usually pretty good about being open minded to anything Cassie did. But she could detect a small hint of concern in her voice. "Girl isn't that a little dangerous?"

Cassie shrugged, knowing fully well her friend couldn't see it. "Haven't died yet. Almost got taken advantage of today, but thats about as close as I got to danger."

"What?!" Jamie yelled. She shook her head. Sometimes Cassie's views on danger were a bit skewed. "Christ, are you okay?!"

"Yeah. I'm fine." She explained every detail of the events earlier.

"Girl you sure you're okay? That sounds like a hell of a day and you seem all too calm."

Cassie sighed, exasperated. "Yes, Jamie, I'm fine. I got some help afterwards and now I'm safe."

Suddenly Mark poked his head in the door. He heard the shower turn off, but Cassie was taking a good while up here and he was curious what she was up to. He saw the phone at her ear as she smiled at him. "Did ya want marshmallows too? I've got some." He asked her.

She put her hand over the phone. "Yes please." she cooed, giving him her sweetest smile. She watched the devilish smile play on his lips again before he disappeared back to the kitchen. Oh yeah, he wanted to play, she thought with a laugh.

"Who was that?" Jamie's curiosity filled her voice. Whoever that guy was, he sounded kinda familiar. Maybe Cassie wasn't all that far from them after all.

Cassie almost forgot she was talking to her.

"Oh, that was the guy who helped me earlier. We uh...kind of have a thing."

"Really?" Oh god, that voice. That was Jamie's girly gossip voice. She always talked like that when she wanted to talk about boys. "You found yourself a guy already? Damn girl, didn't think you'd get over Taker that fast." Jamie had come to a sad conclusion that pining over Kane was a lost cause, but her best friend never strayed from her love of the deadman.

Cassie outright laughed hysterically. "Oh god, Jamie..."

"What?!" Jamie asked, thoroughly confused at her friend's mass hysteria. When the blonde wouldn't stop laughing, she continued to prod. "You're weird girl. Just tell me who this guy is."

Suddenly the laughter died down. Could she really reveal his identity to her friend? If she told her about him, then Jamie probably wouldn't stop bugging her about it. Hell she'd probably invite herself down to Texas just to meet him. Not that she had any problems with that, Jamie was her best friend. But she wanted Mark to herself.

"Cassie?"

After another solid minute of silence, she shrugged, figuring there would be no harm in telling her. Hopefully Jamie's heart still laid with Kane, and she wouldn't give a rat's ass about Mark. "You can't tell a soul, okay?"

"What, why?"

"Do you want to know or not?" she could feel a smile pulling at her lips.

"Okay, I promise."

Taking a deep breath, she spoke. "…His name is Mark."

"Mark?" Her voice was filled with disbelief, practically screaming 'Is that all you're gonna tell me?'

Cassie paused again. "...Mark Calaway."

It took a full few minutes for Jamie to process the name. "Girl you're fucking with me. You're funny, you know that?" Jamie was laughing hysterically now. "You sure you aren't in a loony bin?"

With a sigh Cassie shook her head and walked out the room. "Gimme a sec." She hopped down the stairs and found Mark still in the kitchen, wearing grey sweats and a white t-shirt. She put her hand over the phone. "Can you do me a favor?"

Mark cocked his head to the side curiously. "Sure baby girl. What's up?"

"I'm talking to an old college friend of mine. Best friend in the world. She's been worried sick and I've been filling her in on everything. She's a big wrestling fan, and doesn't believe that I'm hanging out with you. Don't worry, she won't tell anyone about you."

Processing her words a smirk came on Mark's face as he reached for her phone. "What's her name?"

"Jamie." she said handing him the phone.

"I've got this." He whispered with a sly grin. Taking a moment, his brow knitted in concentration as he started channeling the Undertaker. "Jamie…" He said in a deep drawl. "How dare you doubt your friend. You cross her, then you cross me, and I think the last thing you'd want to do is rest…in...peace." He quickly pulled the phone from his ear as a splitting scream came from it. Cassie doubled over laughing.

He quickly handed her the phone with a smirk on his face. He was amused to see her so happy.

Cassie put the phone to her ear. "Girl how the fuck did you manage to make it into Taker's pants?!" Jamie was screeching on the other line. "Is Kane there too?! Oh my fucking god!" With that Cassie quickly retreated out the glass sliding door to Mark's back porch, closing it behind her.

"Jamie, calm the hell down. Glenn isn't anywhere near here as far as I'm aware. I think he's traveling still with the rest of the show. Sorry to burst your bubble." She sighed. "And I'm not in Taker's pants. You know I wasn't always about the sex." Cassie muttered, crossing her arms against the cool air.

Jamie nodded. "Damn, Cassie you are the luckiest fucking woman in the world to be where you are." She laughed. "Wait, so you're in Texas? What made you go to Texas? You decide to get all stalker on him?"

A sigh left Cassie's lips, frustrated. Of course she had to push her buttons about this. "I wasn't trying to seek him out, okay? I ended up working at his favorite bar. It was just fate. I just…" Her gaze focused on the endless green lush of a back yard Mark had. The grass looked so soft, so welcoming. If it was warmer out she would've gone and tumbled in it, it looked so fluffy. "I wasn't thinking straight. I was done sitting around thinking about going places, but not actually going anywhere with my life. I just hopped on I-35 and headed south until my mind woke up. Next thing I knew I was in Texas."

Mark was out of eyeshot, but he had slid the door open slightly to listen to her. He was sipping hot chocolate as he heard her words.

"And you're doing okay? Like financially and stuff?" The concern was apparent in Jamie's voice.

Cassie nodded. "I'm getting by. The guy who runs the bar, Trevor, is a real sweetheart giving me the job. Meeting Mark was just a bonus. I'm really lucky."

"Oh girl I hear that. To think I had given up on that kind of future and now you're living the life we've always dreamed."

She felt herself chuckle at that. "Not quite, Jaim. Mark isn't traveling right now, Taker was buried alive, remember? And even when he does start again I doubt I'd go with him."

"Why not? Girl you and I both loved to travel."

Cassie huffed, a breath escaping her lips flipping her side-swept bangs. "I know. And I still do. But Jamie he'd have to ask me to go. I'm not just gonna impose myself on him. His job would be stressful enough already without some stupid kid following him around." She paused, staring at the landscape around her. "And I kinda like Texas. I'm fine just staying put right now."

Jamie shook her head. "To think a Minnesotan grown girl flew south for the winter…"

"Har har." She muttered sarcastically. Cassie had been pacing back and forth, her bare feet padding softly against his hardwood deck. Mark watched her intently. She looked really happy, at peace talking to Jamie. He wondered if she missed home more than she let on. "Jamie…how did you get my number? I've been meaning to ask all day."

Jamie was silent for a moment. "You don't remember?"

"Huh?" she pulled the phone away, staring at it for a moment thoroughly confused.

"It was a few days after you vanished from home. Late in the night while I was writing I got two calls from a number I didn't recognize. You remember my policy. If its important, they'll leave a message. Well you didn't, but I was curious so I looked up the area code and found it came from Texas. The same number called again a couple of times in the weeks after that. Still no message, but they had to need something important if they kept calling. Your mom was really worried, so after a few months, I thought I'd take the chance and call you."

Cassie sat down on the wood surface. "I forgot about that." Her voice was shaky.

"Cass?"

"When I got here, I got a hotel room my first few nights. I was all by myself. I was so shocked about what I had done…so scared. I was also kinda miserable…I missed you guys. I just needed to hear a friendly voice."

Mark had to refrain from stepping out there and embracing her. She seemed so sad. But he didn't want to let on that he was eavesdropping.

"Aw Cass…"

Cassie shook her head with a smile. She wasn't gonna put herself down tonight. "Jamie, its been the best thing in the world talking to you, but my hot chocolate is gonna get cold. Got a sexy man waiting on me, ya know?"

Mark felt a smile pulling at his lips at that.

Jamie giggled. "Shit, I forgot. My bad girlie. Go on now and have some fun with your man. Do me a favor and ask Mark if he can let me come meet Glenn sometime, huh?"

"So you _are_ still hung up on Kane!" Cassie laughed. "I knew it!"

"Girl he's always been in my heart. Now that you've found your dream man then I can only hope the same can happen to me."

"We'll have to see." Cassie said with a chuckle. "I'll talk to you soon, okay? And remember, don't tell _anyone_."

"I know girl." There was a smile in her friend's voice. "Talk to you later."

When she finally flipped the phone shut she stared into the night sky dancing on the horizon. Mark gave her a moment before coming out. "You alright baby girl?" She smiled at his voice and snapped her head in his direction, nodding. Talking to Jamie had taken a lot out of her emotionally, and she could really use some physical affection.

She lifted her arms, reaching out to him, head tilted to the side. Her eyes were big and wide, full of want for his touch. She purred playfully. "'Mere."

His mouth crooked into a large grin as he moved over to her. He crouched down, wrapping his arms around her, encasing her in his warmth. She leaned into him, relaxing against his body. "Its a bit cold out here darlin. You want to go inside?"

"Can we have the fire now?" She looked at him with puppy dog eyes.

Mark laughed. "Sure thing." He stood up and pulled her up to him, leading her into the house to the living room. He sat her down in front of the fireplace, feeling her eyes on him as he went to the kitchen to fetch her fresh hot chocolate.

"Thanks." She smiled sweetly as he handed her the mug. Mark moved over to the brick fireplace, leaning in to build the fire. Cassie stared at his beautiful body hunched over, his muscles straining. That ass though, she thought involuntarily licking her lips. Catching herself mid thought she blushed furiously. A fit of giggles rose from her at the thought that she was suddenly willing to play tonight.

Mark looked over his shoulder at her, eyebrow raised. "What so funny little one?"

"Oh nothing." Cassie smirked. When he turned back she put her mug on the table beside the couch that sat in front of the fireplace and stood. She was a bit nervous about looking like a goof, but decided to take the chance. She walked right up behind him, practically laying herself over him, wrapping her arms around his chest. Her hands rubbed along his body, drifting to his waist. The tips of her fingers met with the hem of his shirt.

"Little one." Mark paused and growled huskily. "What are ya doing?" curiosity was evident in his voice, but still filled with desire. What was this little girl up to?

"Uh…" Her voice was a quiet, coy drawl. She moved her mouth to his ear so her warm breath tousled his skin. "Playing?"

"Playing with fire is more like it." he mumbled, turning around. She sank to the ground and was shuffling backwards with him following closely after, until her back was up against the couch. There was a slight sparkle in her eyes that he only comprehended as desire. He could see her chest heave with anticipation as her eyes watched him intently.

His eyes never left hers as he stared at her for the longest time. Slowly he brought his lips to her forehead in a light kiss. "Hold that thought, baby girl." With that he shuffled back to the fireplace.

Cassie let go of the breath she didn't even know she was holding, which dissolved into laughter. Once Mark got the fire going, he walked across the room, retrieved a thick fluffy comforter, and came back to sit on the couch.

"Come here darlin." Not missing a beat she scrambled up onto the couch next to him as he wrapped the blanket around them. Warmth engulfed her as she wrapped her arms around his waist. "So you said Jamie is a wrestling fan?"

Cassie nodded. "First day I set foot into our dorm room I was met with a huge attitude era poster hanging above her pillow. I knew then we were gonna be good friends. I'm glad I had her for a roommate. I might never have gotten back into wrestling if it weren't for her."

"Does she have a favorite wrestler? A certain deadman perhaps?" He already had an inkling from the phone conversation earlier but again couldn't let her know he was listening. He could feel her shake as she laughed.

"As if. She's in love with Kane. We always talked about eloping with the brothers of destruction together." She looked up at him. "By the way, she says to let her know the next time Glenn is in town."

Mark laughed. "I'll make a note of that. He ain't married but I think he might be taken. Last I saw him he had his arm around some blonde." He wasn't particularly worried though, he didn't expect whatever relationship Glenn had with that ring rat to last for long.

"Aw, she'll be so devastated. I bet she'll win him over when he meets her."

"We'll have to see." he chuckled. They fell into a comfortable silence as they watched the flames dance, the light flickering across the room. Cassie was a bit tired, and felt more than happy to just sit here and cuddle. She wondered if Mark was okay with it.

"You much of a cuddler?" She asked sheepishly. Mark had to admit the question caught him a bit off guard. He smiled down at her.

"To be honest baby girl I have to like a woman an awful lot to want to just hold her." He said with a wink, seeing the blush creeping on her face.

"Thats so cheesy." Cassie giggled. "But sweet." Her hands were gliding over his thighs and around his waist, casually lifting the hem of his shirt and feeling his skin.

"Girl what are ya up to?" Mark asked amused, though fully aware of what she was doing. Cassie was curious, and apparently hell bent on going on an adventure. Being as shy as she was though, she was too afraid to simply ask to explore. He would happily let her, too.

"You're toastyyy…" She whined quietly. His body was in fact warm, but the line was just an excuse for her to touch his smooth skin. Her comment made him laugh.

Mark shook his head. She could be so childish. He closed his eyes as her hands casually drifted up and down his stomach, enjoying the feel of her small hands. More than once did her fingertips brush the waistband of his sweats, each time stirring up his arousal. "Cassie, ya keep that up and soon I won't be able to hold back."

He watched her cheeks turn a tinge pink as her gaze met his once more. A smile crept across her lips, somewhat devious. "Why do you think I keep touching ya?" She whispered bashfully.

Mark looked down at her, watching her for the longest time. Did he hear her right? When was she getting so bold? Not even a week ago she was this timid woman who was afraid of the concept of sex. Now she was here teasing him to no end silently begging him to take her. Hell he was more than happy to, lord knows he had the hard on from hell right now. But for some reason the little voice in his head was louder than usual tonight. It was telling him no. That she deserved better. They had to have a real relationship, to get to know each other more before even stepping into that territory. His hands found hers, pinning them down. "I can't believe I am saying this…" He rumbled in disbelief. "But it can wait little one. I'm not gonna push ya into something ya ain't ready to do."

Cassie stared at him confused. "You're saying I'm not ready? Who's trying to torture who here?"

Mark laughed. "And you're doing a good job of it, little girl. What I meant was," He pulled her hand to his lips, kissing it lightly. "I just want to wait a while, okay? You deserve a real relationship. And a little less than a week ain't enough to justify me fucking ya senseless…as much as I'd like to."

He couldn't help but snicker at the sight of her face turn blazing red at his choice of language. Her mossy green eyes stared deep into his, wide with that beautiful innocence that he couldn't get enough of. Suddenly that smile fell on her lips. That rare, genuine smile, with dimples so prominent you'd think they were stapled in place on her face. He could see the desire dissolve from her eyes, quickly replaced with admiration as well as adoration. She had no words for him, but he could tell just by the stare in her emerald oceans, that she cared so deeply for him.


	13. Chapter 13

Don't you just love when absolutely nothing happens in the plot? Yeah, me neither. Sorry. This chapter kinda had a slow start and then Wrestlemania had just come up last night, spent a good seven-ish hours watching that. Deadman fans out there: Opinions on that Hell in a Cell Match?

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" _Aw come on! Did you totally see that?! He totally biffed that elbow!" The voice was so loud and abrupt Cassie nearly jumped out of her skin. Her grip tightened on her box of special trinkets after the spook almost made her drop it. Her gaze snapped to the two people sitting on the futon watching the television. There was a female who she assumed to be her roommate sitting next to an older man who she assumed to be the girl's father. Looking to the television she saw Triple H attempting to get to his feet after taking a flying elbow on the announce table._

 _The man had taken notice of her presence, nudging her daughter in the side. "Your roomie's here, Jamie." The girl's wild red curls whipped around as she took a good look at Cassie. Reaching up she shut off the television and stood up._

" _Hey." She said with a wave. "I'm Jamie Bryant, your roommate."_

 _Cassie smiled shyly back. "Cassie Kingston." Her eyes flitted to the television screen. "Uh…were you watching wrestling?"_

 _The look on Jamie's face faltered for only a moment, as if to go on the defensive. "Yeah. Is that gonna be a problem?"_

 _Cassie shook her head fiercely. "Oh no! Of course not. I used to watch it a lot."_

 _Her roommate breathed a sigh of relief. "Good. Cuz if it was then we woulda had a problem." Jamie finished with a laugh._

 _Jamie's father stood up. "Alright pumpkin I'll be seeing you in a month or so, okay?" His daughter nodded._

" _Okay daddy."_

 _It was suddenly the two of them alone in the dorm. Jamie watched as Cassie went to put down her box on the nearby table and unpack it. She pulled out little figurines of pokemon, a couple of framed photos, and a plethora of drawings. Each varied in skill, as if drawn by different age groups. Jamie peered over Cassie's shoulder._

 _This girl was such a geek, she thought. Awesome. Jamie was afraid she was going to be stuck with some slutty priss of a girl. And she might be a wrestling fan. Another plus._

 _There was a crayon drawing that looked like it was made by a four year old, but she could tell instantly what it was. A laugh escaped her lips. "Did you draw all of these?"_

 _Cassie nodded, looking at the specific drawing. "That one was the first. Made it when I was eight years old."_

 _Jamie picked it up to inspect it closely, letting out a scoff. It was a crude interpretation of a human. Its body was a black rectangle and there was a mound of red color on his head. Two green dots were on his face. Her eyes drifted to the other drawings. Each one was marked for each year, progressively looking better than the last. The subject matter however, was always the same. "The deadman? Really?" After a bout of silence she lowered the drawing and saw Cassie giving her a teasing smile._

" _We gonna have a problem here?"_

 _Jamie offered her a toothy grin. "Nah, but in my opinion Kane is hotter."_

 _The brunette laughed quietly and rolled her eyes. "Oh please."_

 _With a laugh she felt her roommate wrap an arm around her shoulders. "I think we're gonna get along just fine."_

Cassie swatted the alarm clock to keep it from screeching at her. She noted her wrist wasn't sore anymore, merely stiff. Probably just bumped it up a little bit.

She grinned into her pillow with a groan. Seriously, the first thoughts of the morning to pop into her head. The quilt that had haphazardly wrapped around her body was softer and fluffier than usual this morning, then again she could chalk it up to laziness her unwillingness to get up. She popped an eye open and looked at the clock. Five forty-five am. Slowly Cassie stretched, arching her back like a cat.

Broken wrist or not last night Cassie had decided on going to work today. Of course she didn't tell Mark. Hopefully he wouldn't mind. And hopefully the alarm didn't wake him up. Softly she placed her feet on the floor, walking over to the window.

It was still dark. Okay, that didn't help. She was trying to figure out if the weather was okay to walk in. She had realized as she drifted off to sleep last night that Mark had given her a ride and she would need him to get to work. But she wasn't about to get out of bed right then and bother him about it. Hell she didn't want to bother him regardless. She decided she would walk. It wasn't like Mark lived all that far from Trev's. Cassie had made long walking trips before. Quietly she crept in the bathroom to take a shower and get ready for the day.

After drying and brushing her hair she thought she'd throw it up in a lazy ponytail. Sleep still clouded her eyes and she wasn't in the mood to be dolled up. She pulled on a white tank top and some black jeans. Moving back to the window she cracked it open a bit. The air outside smelled damp and muggy. Like it had been raining. She couldn't hear the patter of droplets on the grass though. Maybe a light shower had just passed, she thought, pulling on an indigo flannel shirt.

Closing the window she shrugged and shoved some extra clothes in her bag. Just in case she got doused on. The voice in her head was telling her to just wake up Mark. That would save her a load of trouble. He's probably gonna be pissed to find out she was walking to work in the dark, she thought. She glanced at the clock.

Six thirty. Plenty of time to get to Trev's in time for opening. But she needed to get going now. Slinging her backpack over her shoulder she went down to the kitchen and scribbled a note for Mark when he woke. Leaving it on the counter, she moved to the front door, slipping on her skate shoes. Straightening up, Cassie let out a sigh before opening the door as softly as she could. She closed the large wooden door quietly and went on her way to Trev's.

The wet gravel of the road that took her towards town crunched under her shoes with each step she took. The smell of rain made her smile. It had to be her favorite thing in the world, as long as it wasn't a warm rain. Warm rain just made her feel like she was being sweated on. It was gross.

She hoped Mark wouldn't be too mad when he woke up. She knew he would think walking in the dark was a stupid, and probably dangerous idea. Anyone would know that. But hell if she didn't believe thoroughly that she was practically invisible. No one seemed to pay her much notice half the time. Drivers on the road, shady humans passing her on the sidewalk. No one bothered to acknowledge her.

Still, the thought of Mark being upset at her made her stomach churn. Suddenly she shook her head.

Why would he give a damn wether she was there or not? This was the question a loud dark voice asked in her head. She didn't particularly like this voice. It was a prominent force whenever she was alone. When it was around she knew she wouldn't have a good day. Of course today was going to be one of _those_ days.

 **Mark is a busy man, with plenty on his plate and doesn't need some dumb ass kid hanging off of him like a love struck school girl. Mark's a man's man, and as soon as he rejoins the show would only be around as he saw fit, not when she wanted him. Mark had plenty of women willing to fall into his arms and keep him happy if he deemed her unworthy.**

Where the hell do you get off talking like that, she asked the voice.

 **It's true and you know it. He doesn't need you.**

If that was true, she asked the voice, then why did he want a relationship with her?

 **He doesn't really know what kind of person you can be. Soon enough he's gonna find that you're just not his cup of tea. That you're a crazy loon.**

"I'm not crazy!" Cassie snapped out loud to no one. She had stopped moving. Frustration overwhelming her, she gave a nearby rock a swift kick. If he decides he doesn't want her, she thought, then fine. She could get along just fine by herself. She had been doing so well before she met Mark. She may be hopelessly in love with him but if one day he woke up and decided he didn't want her anymore then she could live with it.

Suddenly the voice fell silent as a big fat drop of water hit her nose. She looked up as a few more followed, slamming against her face.

"This'll be fun." She muttered as a full blown rain started up again. This day had turned an ugly corner against her will. She hoped against hope that Trevor would make her feel better.

Cassie huffed and continued forward, ignoring the warm droplets of water rolling off her eyelashes. Her strides doubled in size in an attempt to get to Trev's as quickly as possible. Soon enough she could see the small old bar in the distance, growing ever closer. The rain had begun to fall considerably hard, and Cassie was near soaked to the bone. Assuming it was not yet seven and the front door was probably locked, she waltzed around to the back and entered that way.

Trevor obviously heard the door open, chuckling. "Damn girl I wasn't actually expecting you to come in today after being hit by a c—" He paused, staring at her when she came into his view. "Cassie, you look like a damn drowned rat."

She laughed darkly, the look on her face telling him to 'keep it up' "Just what I needed to hear this morning Trev."

He frowned. Her attitude was off today. Now what the hell did the big bastard do? "Did you walk here?" His voice was half anger, half disbelief. "Cass you didn't have to come in today. Not after what happened yesterday."

She shrugged with a huff, her eyes searching the empty space of the bar. "I wanted to come in. I feel like I'm weaseling out of work too much and it isn't fair to you. So no more excuses."

Trevor watched her with an incredulous look and his hands on his hips. "Near death experiences are a completely valid reason to take time off."

"Well I'm not dead, okay?" There was a slight sarcasm in her voice. It bothered Trevor to no end when she talked about death in such a nonchalant way. She tended to do it a lot. Like dying was an impossible feat to her, and even if it came it wouldn't be the most horrible thing in the world. He made a mental note to talk to her about it later. Or at least talk to Mark. Maybe he noticed too.

But that was a topic for a later time. Her employer crooked an eyebrow at her. "Well why didn't you have Mark give you a ride here? You could've caught your death in the rain."

She rolled her eyes at that. Over the years Cassie had had multiple people tell her the exact same thing. Yeah, she walked in the rain plenty of times before. But she never got pneumonia then and she doubted she would get it now. "I didn't want to wake him up, let alone bother him at all." Her brow was furrowed in thought as she stared at the floor. "I left him a note."

Trevor snorted. Just like how she left home. Sometimes he wondered if she was just better with written words than the ones she spoke herself. "Bet he's gonna like that when he wakes up."

Cassie shrugged quietly. He could see the slight pang of fear and sadness that crossed her eyes. She knew he was gonna be angry, but still didn't want to be a burden to him. Trevor let out a deep sigh. There was no way in hell he was taking a smoke break today, he told himself. He wasn't missing a fucking thing today. And if Mark just so happened to come barreling in here screaming at her, Trevor swore on his life he would be here to protect the damn girl. She was horribly fragile emotionally in intense situations.

She was still acting weird though, he noted. He decided she needed to lighten up quickly and laughed. "You're not planning on working like that, are ya? You might still catch your death while working."

Cassie rolled her eyes again, this time with a small smile. It was a start. "I brought extra clothes, dingus." Trevor couldn't help but outright laugh at the nickname. "Can I put my bag in your office?"

He nodded and watched her quietly as she shuffled soggily around the bar. Soon enough she was scampering off to the bathroom to change from what he could guess. Trevor laughed and shook his head at her antics. She was such a little kid sometimes.

Slipping into the bathroom Cassie stumbled out of her clothes, pulling on faded blue jeans and a black tank. Moron, she thought, realizing she had no flannel to wear. She'd just have to wait till the indigo one dried. The thought of having bare shoulders made her feel weird, but she'd get over it. Coming out of the bathroom she was startled by an unfamiliar voice.

"So you _are_ alive." A deep masculine voice chuckled. When Cassie raised her eyes she saw the driver of the truck from yesterday parked at the bar. He was a big guy with short blonde hair, his blue eyes staring at her amusedly.

"Oh! Hi." She spoke, admittedly caught off guard. "What brings you here?"

The man smiled at her. She took careful note of the way his eyes traveled over her body. Unlike Bill though, this guy didn't make her the least bit uncomfortable. "Just wanted to make sure I didn't kill ya. The name's Miles." The way he looked at her in turn made her smile warmly.

"I'm Cassie." She spoke softly.

Trevor threw a glance between the two of them, saying nothing. Mark might have to stay on his toes if this guy is gonna make a habit of coming here, he thought. "Cass, go lay out your clothes in my office to dry. I have coffee for ya before you start working." He gave Miles a once over as he went about throwing bacon on the grill. This guy didn't appear to have anything to hide, nor worry about. Trevor was completely cool with him, but he'd have to wait and see what Mark thought when he got here.

His employee nodded and disappeared into his office.

* * *

Every joint in Mark's body popped and cracked as he stretched to wakefulness. Of course as consciousness gripped him so did the thoughts of one beautiful blonde possibly still sleeping down the hall. Mark slid out of bed in only sweats as he waltzed out of his room and down the hall. The thought of sliding into bed beside her and pulling her into his arms, and simply lounging for a while was just too good a thought to pass up. Softly Mark padded down the hall to her white door. Surprise crossed his face when he found it open. Peering inside he also found the bed empty. Odd, he thought. Where was she?

He turned his attention to the kitchen. Maybe she was downstairs making breakfast. His doubts were strong though, as he sure as hell couldn't smell anything cooking. As he stumbled quietly downstairs, he padded into an empty kitchen to find a piece of paper on the island.

His thoughts were filled with one question as he eyed the note on the kitchen counter. What the actual fuck?

 **I felt bad about missing work. Walked to Trev's today. I'll see you later, okay? - Cassie**

He let the slip of paper fall from his fingertips. Cassie walked to Trev's? Mark knew he didn't live all that far away from his favorite bar but it was still a hell of a walk for a little girl. And as far as he could tell it was raining. It had been raining for a long while now. Why the hell hadn't Cassie just woken his ass up? Grumbling he waltzed back upstairs to shower and get dressed.

He grumbled all through his hot shower. He grumbled all through pulling on clothes for the day. He grumbled tying on his dark blue bandana around his head. Hell, Mark was grumbling as he found his leather jacket and slipped it over his shoulders before he walked out to his truck. The rain had continued and was steady, definitely not the kind of weather for a bike today.

Mark in a quiet silence made his way out to Trev's, mulling over his thoughts. He wasn't necessarily mad…was he? Sure, he was frustrated that Cassie didn't just talk to him. Sure, waking up early morning would have been a bitch but he wouldn't have minded entirely. He was frustrated that she probably had to walk out in the rain. Probably in the dark too if she had gone in early enough to open the bar. What the hell was she thinking? It was dangerous roaming around at that hour of the morning. She could have gotten sick out here or something.

Mark shook his head, stopping from pissing himself off further. He remembered what Trev had said to him the other day. Cassie was a big girl and made her own decisions. She did what she wanted, whether Mark would like it or not.

What was bothering him the most was that she had to leave a note. He laughed at himself. It was just a note. People did that all the time. He didn't have her number either so he could just call her to figure out she was. But she left a note. Just like she did for her family before she disappeared on them. Mark scoffed. She wouldn't just up and leave. Especially without saying anything.

The words she left on the paper felt strangely platonic though. Very Cassie-like, but still platonic. What did that mean? Was she not ready for a relationship? Mark shrugged.

He guessed she wasn't well versed in relationships. Maybe that was it. Communication was not one of her stronger suits, he found. She probably just didn't know how to interact with another human in a relationship.

He would help her learn, he thought with a small smile.

Mark pulled into Trev's lot feeling pretty good. He would grab some breakfast before going in to the shop and doing some actual work for once. He just wanted to see her face…to make sure she was okay. As he had gotten closer and closer to the establishment, the feeling that something was off was getting stronger and stronger. Quietly he walked in, ringing a small bell as he opened the door.

Cassie was leaning up against the bar, talking to some guy whose face he couldn't see. She had a goofy smile on her face, which in turn made him smile. She glanced up at the noise, and upon seeing Mark her face fell.

That wasn't very reassuring, he thought, his smile faltering. He walked over to the bar, taking a seat at the opposite end of the other man.

"What will it be?" Trevor asked flatly as he cast a side glance at the auburn haired giant.

Mark was thrown by his friend's attitude, but ordered his food. What was going on? "Cassie." He spoke out, knocking lightly on the polished wood. She turned to look at him, sparing a parting word to the other man before coming his way. Mark felt his eyes linger a little too long on the man she had been speaking to. Finally it clicked. That was the man driving the truck yesterday. He knew he had seen that face before. He thought nothing else as his eyes drifted to his girl. He took careful note of the way she held herself. She was nervous. Did she think he was mad at her?

His suspicions were confirmed when she came right up to him. She wouldn't meet his eyes. Her mossy green orbs were glistening, on the verge of tears. She was terrified that he would yell at her.

"Baby girl why are you so nervous? I ain't mad at ya."

Finally her eyes rose to his, full of confusion. "You aren't?"

Mark laughed. "Hell no." He whispered, not wanting either of the two other men to hear their conversation. "You're a grown woman. You can do whatever the hell you want. But I want you to know," He took her hand and gave it a squeeze. "You could have just asked me to drive ya here. I bet walking in the rain wasn't very fun."

A small smile pulled at her lips as she looked at him. "I don't mind it. The rain is nice. Done it plenty of times before." A huff escaped her lips. "Not too happy that it soaked my flannel though. Hopefully it dries fast."

At that Mark's eyes drifted to her bare shoulders. Her skin was sun kissed, speckled with an abundance of freckles. He liked Cassie in a tank top. Watching her breathing pick up nervously under his analytical eyes, a smile played at his lips as he watched a blush creep up her neck.

With a sly smile Mark leaned in, touching the curve of her neck with his lips in a light kiss. He could hear her gasp slightly from the touch, her skin was on fire. Mark groaned quietly. "You like that, little one?" His words were a hot whisper in her ear, sending a spasm of shivers down her spine as he placed more kisses on her neck. A bubbly fit of giggles erupted from her lips.

"Keep it in your pants, Romeo." Trevor chided with a laugh.

Mark shot a glare at his friend with a low growl. "Just shut up and make my breakfast, bitch." His response elicited a laugh from Trevor, Cassie grinning like an infatuated high schooler. She nuzzled the side of his jaw with her nose, the scruff of his stubble tickling her sensitive skin.

"You're gonna distract me from work." She mumbled contentedly.

He pressed his forehead to hers. "No one's here yet."

Cassie chuckled. "Miles is."

Mark quirked an eyebrow. "Miles? That's the guy who hit you with his truck?" He grumbled, craning his gaze over her shoulder.

"Miles, the guy whose truck I ran in front of." Cassie corrected. "Calm your tone, bud." The smile on her lips told him she was teasing.

Mark rolled his eyes as Trevor put the food out in front of him. Cassie started pulling away, but was stopped by the auburn haired man tightening his grip on her.

"C'mere." He mumbled, pulling her around the counter to the seat next to him.

She blinked, surprised. "M-Mark I'm on the clock." The words stammered from her mouth.

Mark sighed as he took a forkful of food. "Girl ain't nobody here yet. You can stand to spare a few minutes. Trevor don't like it its his problem."

"Hey now," Trevor mocked playfully. "I could very well throw your big ass out of here if you're gonna undermine me, Red."

"Try me." The taller of the two threatened. Cassie couldn't help but smile at the two men's antics. These two had to be the best friends a girl could ask for.


	14. Chapter 14

Guess who isn't dead! Jesus, I'm really sorry about that. Last week was finals, but even that shouldn't have been an excuse because this whole semester was just one big brain fart. Like I didn't give to shits about how well I did in my classes, thats how terrible it was. The last bigger fanfiction I did (I took it down so y'all won't find it) got around fourteen chapters too before it bit the dust so I don't know if that has something to do with it. It probably hasn't helped that there's been a widespread dry spell that I've seen in my favorites as far as Taker fanfics, so maybe it isn't just me.

I blame it on the fact that Wrestlemania already happened, and now that Mark has disappeared off the face of the earth again there's nothing to motivate us as far as the character goes. Every now and again I like to check the news on Taker and recently I've been hearing the rumors that 32 was the last for him. I hope to god that isn't true. I mean yes he's more than welcome to give it a rest but he needs a better send off than that.

Just so you guys know I keep a little bit of a live update on my profile page so if I have another month long dry spell like this you'll know where to look to know whats going on.

Enjoy!

* * *

Cassie never really liked green olives. They smelled odd and they tasted weird and you couldn't get her started on the texture of them. They were gross.

But by god did she love the color of them. Never was there a more wonderful color. She was staring absentmindedly into a jar of green olives sitting on the bar counter, thinking about a beautiful pair of eyes that shared their hue. She loved the way they sparkled with amusement when they stared at her. She seemed to make them do that a lot, she thought with a smile. Not that she could help it, being the goof she was sometimes.

In her mind she could see Mark's olive green eyes stare at her, dark with desire. Just the look in his eyes could spark a fire in her stomach.

"Where do you go, little one?" His southern drawl called out to her quietly.

Her eyes drifted up to his. A small smile fell on her lips. "What?"

Mark crooked his head to the side, his eyes never leaving hers. "I've never met a woman whose mind wanders as much as yours. I'm curious darlin, where does it go?"

Cassie stared softly at him, eyes filled to the brim with adoration. "Wherever it wants to. Today, it can't stop thinking about your eyes."

He laughed, quirking an eyebrow at her. "My eyes, huh?"

With a smile she walked over to him, leaning on the counter. It was nearing noon now, and a sizable crowd had gathered in. "Mhm. They're beautiful."

A long smile pulled at his lips. "Why thank ya, darlin." Her eyes weighed on him heavily as he consumed his food.

"Whatchya got going on today?"

Mark's gaze drew to the ceiling in thought. "Not sure. I was toying with the idea of workin today, but I don't wanna leave you here all by your lonesome with all these men. After what happened with Bill…" he trailed off as his face contorted into a grimace.

Her smile grew big. "Bill isn't coming back, Mark. Besides, I've got Trevor here. I don't plan on going outside and neither does he. Which is great cause smoking doesn't do the body any good."

Mark was silent but by the look in his eyes she could tell he was considering her words.

"I swear. I'll be in here the whole time. You can drive me home when I'm done. Everything will be fine, alright?"

His fist rapped on the bar with a soft thud. "You behave yourself, alright?"

Cassie rolled her eyes. "I will."

With one large crooked finger he gestured her over. "Now get over here so I can give ya a hug." His girl complied happily, quickly taking a his hand in hers.

"What happened to your finger?" Cassie brought his hand to eye level, head tilted to the side to inspect the slight abnormal bend in his digit.

"Torn tendon a few years back." Mark mumbled, ignoring the hardness in his groin from her touch. Her hands were impeccably soft today. "C'mere." He wrapped his arms around her waist. He looked up, scanning the crowd of large biker type men. "Now listen here ya big bastards, none of ya will lay a finger on my girl here, alright?" One look down at Cassie and he could tell she was blushing fiercely. A smirk pulled at his lips at the sight. "You'll have me to answer to, and I'm only a few blocks away so don't think I won't be here on foot in the blink of an eye. And I won't be afraid to kill ya."

Steve the guitar player was sitting at a table nearby took a swig of his coffee and rolled his eyes. "Yeah yeah, Cassie's _your_ woman. We get it."

With his large hands at Cassie's waist Mark turned her around to face him, her beet red face tilted down towards the floor. "Now that we've settled that…" Lifting her chin up he captured her lips in a hungry kiss. "I'll be seeing ya later, darlin."

He was on his way out when Trevor stopped him. "You coming back here tonight big guy?"

Mark nodded. "I'm giving her a lift home so yeah."

His dark-haired friend let out a low chuckle. "I mean earlier in the evening. I'm thinking of having Cass sing again tonight and figured you'd might like to stop by and hear it."

He felt a grin pull at his lips. "Wouldn't miss my little girl's beautiful voice for the world."

Trevor laughed again and clapped his friend on the back. "Come back around six, alright?"

With a nod Mark was on his way.

Cassie's half lidded eyes watched his broad back as he waltzed his way out the door. A large goofy smile crossed her face. That man didn't have to do anything and she knew she loved him more than life itself. She was lost in him. Making her way around the counter she started wiping it down. Thinking about it she wasn't too sure if she was going to be able to deal with his absence once he went back on the road.

" _Jesus Christ!" Jamie shouted at the television screen. Cassie sat beside her tossing popcorn into her mouth. "You think Vince would know how to do a proper blade job after all these years! The man looks like a damn hemophiliac!"_

 _Cassie laughed quietly. She was invited over to Jamie's new apartment in Minneapolis to watch Survivor Series. Her friend had just started school again to work on her masters in creative writing and Cassie hadn't seen her in a while, so a visit was in order. "You have to admit, big beautiful can sure pack a punch." Undertaker and Vince McMahon were competing in a buried alive match, and after one punch by the big evil Vince was spouting blood like a lawn sprinkler._

 _Jamie rolled her eyes. Her best friend was still head over heels for the Undertaker. She on the other hand had given up hope for Kane and moved on with her life. Meanwhile she still had to listen to her friend gush over the big biker. "More like big beautiful bastard."_

 _It was Cassie's turn to roll her eyes. Ever since Undertaker turned biker Jamie had been rooting against him. She shared the same sentiments as her old love, that his brother had become too human just like the rest of roster. Cassie had to agree somewhat. The biker was definitely a drastic change, but it put a more realistic, human spin on the character. She couldn't help but wonder if maybe this was how the real man, Mark Calaway was on the inside. A big burly badass who commanded respect. Well, the big evil character physically and verbally demanded it. In reality though she wouldn't be surprised if Mark's mere presence got that respect. He seemed like a fair man. When Cassie looked into his olive eyes she saw a kind heart behind the permanent scowl._

 _There was something sexy about that tall frame of his, his darkened hair that was growing out again, long muscular legs cased in those tight leather pants._

" _Girl you're licking your chops again." Jamie muttered casting a sidelong glance at her friend._

 _Cassie let out a huff. "Does it look like I can help it? He looks goddamn sexy!"_

" _Oh come on Cass! Like you'd ever stand a chance with him. You need to grow up." Jamie exhaled loudly. She was getting tired of listening to her friend gush over a man all the time that she couldn't have. "I'm not getting Kane, and you're not getting Taker. We're just two midwestern city chicks that have no chance in hell of leaving this state. The chances that we'd_ ever _cross paths with the likes of those guys are nonexistent."_

 _Her mossy green eyes studied her friend quietly. Red curly locks fell around the girl's face, framing her from view. Cassie could tell she was distraught though. She must have spent a good while mulling this topic over when left alone. "Thought about this a lot, huh?"_

 _Jamie nodded, not saying a word as she returned her gaze to the television._

" _Well I guess I'll just have to believe for the both of us." she whispered, making Jamie almost break her neck turning to look at her. They stared each other down for a moment before she spoke again. "I told you already, Jaim. I'm not sticking around here anymore. Someday I'm gonna get out of Minnesota. You'll see."_

 _Jamie sighed. "Yeah, you keep saying that." The slight sarcasm in her voice was difficult to miss._

 _After a beat of silence both girls resumed watching the match just in time to see Kane shove Taker into the grave. Not a moment later did Vince clamber into the seat of the backhoe and drop a load of dirt into the grave on top of Taker._

" _Well shit." Jamie muttered. Cassie's heart stopped as the show faded to black. What in the world just happened?_

"Cassie." her head snapped up to see Trevor staring at her. "You alright?"

Slowly she nodded. "Reminiscing I guess." She paused a moment. Apparently she had heard his comment to Mark. "Are you really gonna make me sing?" her voice was more amused than nervous. Trevor smiled. Maybe she was growing a little more confident about herself.

"Cass you've got a beautiful voice and the world deserves to hear it." He watched as her gaze fell to the counter.

Her voice was barely a whisper. "You know that's a damn lie, Trev."

Trevor laughed. "Girl, my momma was a blues musician. That's why we moved to New York when I was a kid. Because of her I can tell you I sure as hell ain't tone deaf. Ya have a wonderful voice."

Their gazes were locked, hers still clouded with disbelief. "What did she play?"

A smirk pulled at Trevor's lips. "She sang, actually. You sound just like her when ya sing."

After a few minutes of mulling over his words, she smiled. "Alright. I'll sing for ya."

* * *

Mark walked back into Trev's around five thirty, deciding he would close up early for the night. If Cassie was singing tonight then he wouldn't miss it for anything. Her voice had done a number on him the first night they met.

Business was pretty damn slow anyway. He was grumbling as he thumped his back trying to work out the kinks. Spending hours hunched over bikes wasn't doing his body any favors. Most of the day he was thinking about how he needed to call Vince. It was a few hours into the shift when he realized he had forgotten all about the phone call with Shawn. Vince was going to need to hear from him soon or else Mark would have goons chasing him down for the next couple of months. That was the last thing he needed, especially when he wanted to be desperately spending that time with Cassie.

He was also a little put out about not getting to cuddle with her like he wanted earlier in the morning. She'd have to sleep over again tonight maybe.

The stress was kind of wearing on him. He might have to go fishing the coming weekend to relieve some of the pressure of the past few days. There was a lot to think about.

Cassie had unknowingly passed him hauling a large cardboard box on her shoulder. Its contents he was unsure of, but it looked heavy for her. "You need help with that?"

"I got it." She mumbled emotionlessly, still unaware of Mark's presence as she carried the box with little effort behind the bar. Observing her, he wondered why he never noticed her muscles before. Maybe because it was all hiding under the flannel shirts she wore. From the breasts down she had wonderful curves, thick strong legs. Her shoulders on the other hand were broad and rigid, her arms thick and hard looking. She seemed like a hard working girl from the looks of her. A part of him wondered how badly a deck to the jaw from her could hurt. The thought made him smile.

They still hadn't locked gazes, but it gave him a chance to study her a little closer. He was starting to wonder if someone had snubbed her in the past that made her grimace so much that her relaxed face looked about ready to kill someone. Mark made a note that just maybe she wasn't lost in the clouds all the time, she just looked generally angry. He wondered why.

Slowly he made his way over to the counter and planted himself on a barstool. This one creaked particularly loudly much to his surprise, making Cassie's gaze snap directly to him. "Oh hey. What are you doing here so early?"

A smile pulled at his lips. "I wanted to hear my baby sing."

Cassie frowned. "Mark I'm pretty sure your business is more important than my horrid singing skills."

Mark frowned in turn. "Girl you sing like a goddamn angel, and you're not allowed to say otherwise. Its my business and I'll run it the way I want so if I want to cut out early to hear my girl sing then so be it."

"You should probably cool it on the bikes soon though, hm?" Trevor interjected. He had a tendency to eavesdrop into most conversations around the bar. It was a mere habit, and the customers didn't seem to mind because he tended to give level-headed advice if it was necessary. "I saw you beating the shit out of your back trying to stand upright when ya walked in here."

At that comment she cast a worried glance at him. "Maybe you should take a few days off. Stay at home and relax."

Mark stared at her, knowing damn well if he was going to be spending his time at home and relaxing, she was going to be right there with him. He looked over at Trevor. "Actually I'm going fishing this weekend. My kind of relaxation."

Cassie seemed pretty discrete but Mark saw how her eyes lit up when he mentioned fishing. He watched her with a quirked eyebrow.

"You like fishing, little one?" His question was laced with amusement. Most women he came across wouldn't touch the subject with a ten foot pole. He recalled one girlfriend that he believed had gone fishing with him simply to impress him. But she complained about how bored she was the entire time, baking in the sun. She even went so far as to stand up in the boat. Lets just say the relationship was pretty much done when she marched out of the lake looking like a wet dog.

Cassie's mossy green eyes cast downward as her shoulders shrugged. She seemed like she wanted to go, but was afraid to ask. "I've only gone a few times as a kid…but that was for sunfish in the lake at my hometown. A friend of my dad's took me trolling for northern pike once. I thought it was pretty neat."

Mark scratched the stubble on his jaw. He had also gone fishing for northern pike once, when him and Shawn traveled together for a short while and the tour made it to Minnesota. Shawn convinced the big guy to go fishing for his days off, instead of going home to listen to Jodi nag. They had a pretty good time actually. But looking at Cassie he was almost hesitant to ask himself, still thinking about past experiences with women and fishing. "I'm more just about the bass down here. You wanna come with me on Sunday?"

It was like her whole body lit up with life at the offer. "Really?" She was practically bouncing on her toes and Mark had to hold back a laugh at the sight.

"Of course." He said with a smile. "You sure as hell seem eager."

She had a big goofy grin on her face but said nothing. Truth was she was ecstatic. Being raised around so many males in her life, their influences and hobbies just rubbed off on her. She loved doing things with guys. She loved the idea of motorcycles, going to her grandparent's farm with her dad so she could stand in the bed of the mule truck they had and ride around the fields with the wind in her hair, and fishing. She loved being "one of the guys" Nerves would just get the better of her and she would be too afraid to ask anyone to take her to do anything. The fact that Mark wanted her to come with him made her more than happy.

Trevor nudged her in the side. "Well girl, you ready?"

Cassie's eyes went wide and her heart started to pound. "Do I have to?"

Her employer threw his head back with a laugh and clapped her on the shoulder. "You do now." Mark joined in the laughter but his eyes silently told her that it would be okay, sensing her apprehension. He was starting to learn just how anxious she could be.

"Wonderful." She swallowed the lump in her throat. "Uh…what do you guys want to hear? Can't say I know that many country songs."

Trevor laughed. "Girl this might be Texas but not all of us live under that stereotype. Do what ever you feel would be good."

Cassie's gaze drew to Mark, and their gazes locked for a moment. She then looked at Trevor. "…Aerosmith?"

Another laugh drew from his lips as he nodded. "Sure thing. Might sound a little funky if only Steve is backing you up though. Let me see if I still have the karaoke system in the back.

If it was possible her eyes grew bigger. "W-what?!"

"Yeah," He yelled as he went into the back office. "I had a karaoke system when I first opened up the place. It didn't catch on very well, but I still like to have a little karaoke night once a month. You'd be surprised how funny it is to watch a bunch of drunk bikers try to sing. Isn't that right Mark?"

Amusement glistened in her eyes as she looked at her companion. He gave her a small smile in return. "Ya'd be surprised to know what I'll do when I'm drunk enough."

Cassie giggled. About twenty minutes later Trevor had the system out and hooked up to the speakers. "Alright Cassie c'mere."

Her face burned a crimson red. Slowly she made her way to the stage again, prompted onward by the hoots and calls from the patrons.

Mark watched as Trevor explained how to navigate the menu and choose a song. About five more minutes passed of her staring at the screen curiously, trying to figure out a good song.

Trevor clapped his hands and raised his voice. "Alright y'all, you wanna hear Cassie sing?" The response from the crowd was surprisingly loud.

Her gaze was still fixed on the screen as she raised the mic to her lips. "Yeah, well if I sing then y'all gotta come and do a song right after me. I'm naming this the official karaoke night of the month." She was met with another pop from the audience. Suddenly a large grin pulled at her lips as she picked a song. She knew the words by heart, so hopefully she wouldn't clam up trying to figure them out.

The music started to play, generating a roar from the guys as she straightened up and looked at all of them. God was she nervous, she thought. Mark was watching so intently too.

 _Rag Doll livin' in a movie  
_ _Hot tramp, Daddy's little cutie  
_ _You're so fine they'll never see ya leavin' by the back door, mam,_

Mark had a sympathetic smile on his face. Her voice was shaky, just like the first time he heard her sang. She looked really stiff too. Nerves were taking over her. He could hear the encouraging roars from the other guys. They could probably see how bad she was shaking as well.

Ah…what the hell, Mark thought as he threw back the shot of jack Trevor had poured him. He rose from his bar stool and walked up to the stage.

Cassie watched him curiously but continued to sing. Trevor watched as well with a curious raised eyebrow.

 _Hot time get it while it's easy  
_ _Don't mind come on up and see me  
_ _Rag Doll baby won't you do me like you done before_

Mark hopped on stage and walked behind her. He took her hips in his big hands and started swaying her to the music. The heat exuding from her blush was hard to miss. With a smile he leaned down and whispered in her ear. "Ya need to loosen up little one. Ya look a little nervous." After a quick moment the goofy grin came back to her face.

 _I'm feeling' like a bad boy  
_ _Mm just like a bad boy  
_ _I'm rippin' up a Rag Doll  
_ _Like throwin' away an old toy_

He could feel her start to relax in his hands. The boys were starting to whistle in approval of the two of them.

 _Some babe's talkin' real loud  
_ _Talkin' all about the new crowd  
_ _Try and tell of an old dream  
_ _A new version of the old scene  
_ _Speak easy on the grape vine  
_ _Keep shufflin' in a shoe shine  
_ _Old tin lizzy do it till you're dizzy  
_ _Give it all ya got until you're put out of your misery_

A smile pulled at Mark's lips as he could feel her start to bob and sway on her own, she was definitely starting to relax. He felt her pull away from him and he loosened his grip on her hips.

 _Rag Doll livin' in a movie  
_ _Hot tramp Daddy's little cutie  
_ _You're so fine they'll never see ya leaving by the back door, mam_

Cassie was starting to stomp out the beat and sway her hips seductively. The sight was making Mark subconsciously lick his lips as he watched her cute rump wiggle in front of him.

 _Hot time get it while it's easy  
_ _Don't mind come on up and see me.  
_ _Rag Doll baby won't you do me like you done before…_

She spun around to face Mark, bringing her free hand up to his tall shoulder. She started to walk backwards and he felt her pull him with. He boot stomped in time with her as one big hand cupped the small of her waist.

 _Yes I'm movin'  
_ _Yes I'm movin'_

Getting the gist of the move he changed directions, walking backwards and pulling her with him.

 _Get ready for the big time  
_ _Tap dancing on a land mine_

He made a grab for her free hand and spun her out, making her laugh.

 _Yes I'm movin'  
_ _Yes I'm movin'_

He spun her back in.

 _Old tin lizzy do it till you're dizzy  
_ _Give it all ya got until you're put out of your miserrrryyyy~_

He caught her a little off guard when he dipped her, making her squeak a bit. It was followed by a fit of loud bubbly giggles. All the guys watching were cheering the two on.

Trevor watched with a big grin on his face as he filled the bowls on the counter with pretzels. Those two never looked more perfect for each other. He knew Cassie had a tendency to be a bit clumsy on her feet but the way the two of them danced made it seem so natural, like her body was made to match his perfectly.

Cassie seemed to notice this too. Weird thing was that she loved to dance, but she was fucking terrible at dancing with another person. But the way she moved so easily with Mark's movements surprised her. She tried not to think too hard about it though, in fear that she just might stumble.

Their gazes were locked again, their attention only invested in one another as they continued through the song. Trevor smiled. He already knew Cassie loved Mark. But he knew right there, looking in the big man's eyes, that Mark too was sunk.

* * *

Song is Ragdoll by Aerosmith


	15. Chapter 15

Daaaaang longest chapter yet! But not by much. Yeah yeah I know I said I was gonna try and not wait whole months between updates. Couple days ago out of the blue I was just like "I'ma write this and git it dun, son!" And damn was I on a roll. But hey, maybe thats the update schedule I need...a chapter a month. Idk.

Hopefully the plot can start moving forward soon, lol. Oh and hey guess what! It's what some of ya'll been waiting for! Finally! ;)

Bear with me, I've never written scenes like what you will read soon enough in my entire life, and while I was proud of myself for not blushing furiously the whole time writing it, I'll say it was still an interesting learning experience. I can only hope I did it justice. If not then please be gentle. XD So without further ado,

 **WARNING!**

 **THE FOLLOWING CHAPTER CONTAINS ADULT SEXUAL CONTENT AND THEMES! PROCEED WITH CAUTION.**

 **(Though I don't know what else you would expect from an M rating, but you have been warned!)**

* * *

Cassie's golden hair bounced with every bump and pothole Mark's truck climbed over. The two of them had pulled onto one of those classic 'old dirt roads' and soon enough she was finding herself charmed by the rich landscape they were surrounded by. Large trees lined each side of the road and bent overhead, making a canopy to drive safely under. It finally stopped raining around Wednesday, which she was thankful for. Warm moisture was just not her cup of tea. Today, however, the sun was glaringly bright and warm. A perfect day for fishing. She looked over at Mark, watching him intently. He seemed so much more at home, so much more comfortable driving his truck than he ever did riding in her car.

In the corner of his eye he caught her gaze, reaching over to squeeze her thigh gently. The contact made her blush. Mark smiled softly at her, amusement ablaze in his eyes…as well as desire. She was wearing a large red flannel shirt, buttoned up, something odd she hadn't done before. Her thighs were cased tightly in bright blue denim shorts, and she wore ratty black and white adidas sneakers. She looked damn sexy.

This couldn't be a more perfect day, he thought. The weather was top notch for fishing. And his girl was here with him too. What more could a man ask for? Well, he thought, glancing towards the bed of the truck where a cooler of beer was stowed away. His mind trailed off as he listened to Cassie roll down the window and stick her head out, letting the wind wrangle with her hair.

A big grin spread across her face as the warm air kissed her face. The sight made Mark chuckle.

So far so perfect, Cassie thought with a smile. Tuesday night was wonderful, with a few of the regulars getting up on stage after Cassie finished and singing songs of their own. They even managed to goad Trevor into a song. She was surprised to hear how wonderful her employer's voice was. Must have been the musical influence in his childhood. She couldn't remember too much after that, Mark had pulled her into his lap at some point and she couldn't stop staring at him.

The rest of the week went off without a hitch. Mark had invited her over a couple more times to watch movies or go for a late night bike ride. True to his word, they hadn't gone any further physically aside from a kiss or cuddling. For that Cassie was immensely appreciative. But again since that night after Bill she couldn't rid her mind of the mental images that came into her brain every so often of Mark dressed in absolutely nothing or lavishing her body with love. Soon, she thought. Soon this desire would need to be quelled.

Mark was good with giving her her own space as well, taking her home if she wanted time by herself. For that she was also grateful. She liked having the opportunity to take time for herself. She had gone on a couple adventures on her own, exploring bits and pieces of Houston. The following day she would tell him all about her adventures when he came to visit Trev's. He seemed to like to listen to her talk, which was a plus.

Every now and then she couldn't help but wonder how Mark really felt about her. Yeah, he wanted a relationship with her, and more often than not he expressed that he liked her. But she was a romantic, and ever since that karaoke night, she knew her fate was sealed. She couldn't bear to leave Mark's side _ever_. It was one thing to love the man from afar, but to be involved with this man and spending all of her time with him, there was a different sort of emotion coupled with it. Like she would die without him around her. Dread filled her mind more and more about when he would have to hit the road again. Was she really gonna be okay without him around every day?

She frowned at the thought of what prospect it would bring for him to stop visiting her so much. Like weaning a puppy off its mothers milk, she too might survive if he wasn't around all the time. But she didn't like that thought. She always wanted Mark around.

Suddenly Cassie shook her head of the thought. She was going to enjoy herself today. No matter what.

They drove on for quite a while, for about a good hour she presumed, before Mark pulled up to a rusted gate. Mark put the truck in park for a moment and stepped out of the vehicle to unlatch the gate. Cassie watched with rapt attention as he opened the gate and returned to the truck. He pulled through and closed the gate, and soon they were back on their way to a small lake. It was void of cabins or other civilization, save for the small wooden dock that stretched out a ways into the water and a small boat tethered to it. Surprisingly this was the most private lake she had ever seen. "Wow." She mumbled. "No one is here."

"Thats because I own this property." He fought a smirk that fell on his lips as her eyes practically popped out of her head at him. "I like my privacy, darlin." he said with a chuckle.

"Well yeah I figured," She cast her gaze out to the lake. "But you own this whole lake?!"

Mark nodded. "And most of the forest around it."

She was fairly quiet. "Wow."

He stepped out of the truck and went around the back for the poles and supplies to take to the boat, with Cassie following close behind. Every time he turned around sharply to find himself almost running into her, she would let out a high pitched "Eep!" or "Sorry" and quickly jump out of his way. It made him smile. He also noticed as he sauntered around getting the boat ready, she would follow directly behind him with her head down. It was rather odd…like she was his slave or something. He wasn't particularly sure he liked it. He shook it off as he climbed into the boat, turning to look at her. Cassie was watching him intently as she stood on the dock. Mark reached his hands out to her, grabbing her hips and lifting her casually into the boat.

When he looked at her again her face was beet red. The sight made him laugh as he reached over to untie the boat. They sat down and the two of them sped out to the middle of the lake. When Mark was satisfied with the spot he had chosen he killed the engine and grabbed the poles. "Here ya go darlin." he rumbled quietly as he handed her a pole.

Cassie took it gratefully but looked a little lost as soon as it was in her hands. Mark suspected since she hadn't done it in a while she wasn't sure what to do. He also suspected she was a little too shy to ask either. Quietly he mumbled simple instructions to her as he showed her how to bait a hook. She sent him a grateful look and watched as he slid a worm onto his hook. Silently she grimaced as she cast a glance into the can of worms.

With his hook baited he watched as she skittishly reached into the can for a worm. Amusement laced his gaze. "Afraid of a small worm, little girl?"

Cassie shot him an odd frown. "I don't mind most insects unless they touch me. Or I have to touch them…" She muttered as if regretting her choices. Finally she plucked a worm out of the can and carefully slid it onto her hook. "Poor guy…" she whispered.

Mark chuckled lightly. Once her worm was securely on her hook he showed her how to cast. She complied correctly and soon they sat in silence, waiting for the fish to bite. He couldn't help but steal glances at her, wondering if she was bored, if she was entertained, if she was sad, what she was thinking. Cassie looked relatively content, staring out at the water. But at the same time he didn't want to disturb her.

He frowned, trying to clear his head. Thats what fishing was all about, not worrying about anything. She seemed more than happy to stay out of his way as much as possible. Mark decided to just focus on the fish.

About an hour and a half of a strange uncomfortable silence passed between them. Mark managed to hook a couple bass, while Cassie had gotten one.

" _Oh! I think I have one!" Cassie yelped, nearly scaring Mark to death. The silence had been so soothing so her voice was startling. He glanced over to see her staring wide eyed at her pole that was bending frantically. She started reeling it in, clearly excited for this prospect._

" _That's it baby girl reel that fish in!" Even Mark couldn't contain the excitement he felt for her. Ten minutes of steady reeling and Mark's words of encouragement and she finally had swept up a very large bass._

 _Cassie was panting with adrenaline and excitement. "How'd I do?"_

 _Mark smiled at her. "You did just fine, baby girl."_

She indeed knew her way around reeling in a fish. A couple of times he was afraid she was going to lose it, but she held strong and kept to it. Mark felt himself proud of her. The two of them would eat well tonight, he mused. They were definitely frying up these fish for dinner, he thought with a smirk.

After her first fish the air between the two of them had softened comfortably. Mark was definitely more relaxed and while she was still fairly quiet she would respond to his questions if he asked.

"So tell me about your brothers." He still found it funny that the both of them were the youngest of five, with all brothers. Strange coincidence if you asked him. While he didn't much stay in touch with his siblings, he hoped that wasn't the case for her. He recognized family was important. But he had his own qualms with his brood to make him stay away.

She was quiet for a moment. "Well there's Luke, the oldest. I probably got along with him the most. He was kind of like me. Still pretty childish and immature for his age. We talked a lot and bonded over video games. We're both equally shy." A few minutes of silence fell between them before she continued. "Then Josh. It was him, me and my mom that were the artists of the family. He inspired me to continue to improve my drawing skills and go to school for digital art. He went to college for a few years before figuring out it wasn't for him. Then he went into the military. I don't really remember much of him growing up, but he was always a caring big brother that encouraged my imagination and played pretend with me."

Mark smiled.

Her face fell. "Caleb is the third oldest. He was really nice."

He quirked an eyebrow at her. "Was?" His question drew a sigh from her lips.

"Caleb was a really protective big brother. Like when I was sick or injured he always took care of me. Out of all of them, I believed that he would make the greatest dad." Cassie's frown became more prominent. "But as soon as he graduated high school he moved out of the house, got a car…got his life in gear. I was glad he did…but I wish he had made better choices."

"How so?"

"He married his high school sweetheart…but I don't think either of them are happy in the relationship. But like the rest of society they believed that they had no one else but each other and had to stick by each other's side."

Mark thought about that. So divorce was frowned upon in Minnesota? Or just her family in general?

"I think he got so unhappy that he started hitting the bottle. He has a big mouth, and tends to say really stupid things without thinking about it. He also started distancing himself from us. Gained this sort of animosity towards us that I still don't quite understand because frankly, he brought his unhappiness upon himself."

Mark nodded. "That's very true. So what about your last brother?"

"Matt." She mumbled quietly. The inflection in her voice made him wonder if this was the distraught brother that she had talked about before at the bar. "Pretty sure you overheard about him that one night." He was silent in response. "Most of what I remember in my childhood of him was competing with him a lot, and a lot of anger. He was really angsty and made me cry quite a bit."

Mark frowned. He didn't like the idea of a sibling making this poor girl cry.

"Don't you have brothers too?" She asked curiously, her voice breaking his thoughts.

Mark nodded. "Four older brothers. Just like you." She smiled at that comment. "But I don't keep in touch with them too much."

Cassie frowned. "Why not?"

Mark shrugged. "My father owns a ranch in one of the far corners of Texas. If you didn't stick around to help the family then you'd be frowned upon. Especially so if you took up a profession like mine."

Sadness filled her gaze as she watched him. "They don't like you wrestling, huh?" Mark shook his head in response. "I'm sorry."

Mark smiled at her. "I don't regret it. I'm doing something I love. I'm not going to let anyone hold me back from living my life and doing what I want to do. Even if my boss can be a pain in the ass sometimes." he grumbled.

Cassie wasn't sure what to think of that comment. It sounded off to her. Would that mean he wouldn't allow himself to be tied down someday to any other woman? Not that she was looking to settle down either. She just wanted to gather her bearings and figure out a life that was comfortable for her. And so far she was going in the right direction. But she continued to wonder what would happen when he went on the road.

What if he was just enjoying her during his time off? What if he ditched her as soon as he it the road again?

She tried not to dwell on it as the continued to fish. Mark caught himself a couple to add to his pile while Cassie only caught one more. Mark looked at her sun kissed face and decided to call it a day after a few more hours. It was around two pm when they pulled the boat back to the dock. Carefully she clambered out of the boat as he tied it up to the dock. She followed behind him as he walked to the truck and pulled out a blanket and his cooler.

Cassie cocked her head looking at him. "A picnic?"

He nodded as he spread the blanket out on the sandy shoreline. Opening the cooler he pulled out a couple of beers and some ham sandwiches. Happily she took the sandwich but refused the beer. "I don't drink beer." she said with a laugh. "Tastes like shit to me."

Mark laughed as well, reaching back in the cooler and handing her a soda instead. He figured she didn't drink much since she worked at a bar and he hadn't seen her consume a single drink on her visiting days off.

"Thanks." She grinned at him. In a comfortable silence the two of them ate their sandwiches. Mark fought back a smirk listening to her pleased moans. She seemed to be enjoying the food.

After a while Cassie was staring intently at the water. "How cold do you think the lake is?"

Mark eyed her curiously. "I would imagine it warmed up some. Probably bearable for a swim. What did you have in mind little girl?"

She shot him a smile and without a word stood up, starting to unbutton her flannel shirt. His intent gaze was glued to her, blazing with desire as he watched her fiddle with her buttons.

Mark felt his mouth go dry as she slid the shirt off her shoulders, revealing a black spaghetti strap swim top. They held her large pert breasts nicely. He was at a loss for words as he watched her slide her frayed jeans past her round hips. Small matching bikini bottoms strained against her thighs. the sight made Mark groan deeply, trying to fight the hardness in his jeans that came to be at the sight of this scantily clad woman. Slowly she walked down the dock before she turned to him. "You gonna come in?"

"Can't say I'm very fond of swimming, darlin." He preferred to lay in the sun.

She stretched her arms above her head, making Mark groan once more. Cassie offered him a seductive gaze before shrugging. "Suit yourself." He laughed as he watched her cannonball into the water. She emerged, wiping her now stick straight blonde hair out of her face. "You're missing out," She called out to him. "This water is really nice."

Mark chuckled, struggling to ignore the fact that he was hard as a brick at that moment watching her. "I'm just fine up here, thanks."

She swam closer to the shore and stood so that she was waist deep in the water. "You suuuure?" He swallowed hard seeing her large covered breasts glistening and dripping with water.

His brow furrowed. She was intentionally torturing him, judging by the small smirk on her face as she watched him. She knew _exactly_ what she was doing. Mark didn't say a word, simply watching her and she figured it was a lost cause, shrugging once more and moving to float on her back out to the deeper part of the lake.

Cassie stared at the sky in thought, watching the clouds pass by. What in the world was she trying to do here? She recognized that she was openly teasing this man, but was she really ready to progress further in the relationship physically? Conflicting feelings had filled her since she had dressed this morning. She got halfway dressed before deciding that she wanted instead to wear her swim suit underneath. Gave her a reason to show off her body in front of him inconspicuously. Immediately she had stopped herself, wondering why it was absolutely necessary.

She wanted him to desire her, obviously. To be desired. It was a selfish, intoxicating feeling she felt herself needing more and more every day but at the same time was deprived of. She wanted Mark to want her. And she too wanted him. She decided to go through with this plan, knowing if she wanted something, she might as well get out there and go for it.

And she definitely wouldn't let the fact that he was sprawled out on the beach taking in the sunshine like boring grown up put her down. As long as she put the offer out there, he could come when he wanted. She chuckled lightly. She sounded like a mother trying to get an unruly child to eat his food.

Mark sat there staring dazed at the full length of her body that floated on the surface of the water, like it was weightless.

Fuck it, he thought.

Five minutes later Cassie heard a splash. When she straightened up she found Mark was no longer on the shore, his presence replaced by discarded clothes. Her gaze darted around. Where did he go?

Two large arms snaked around her waist, hoisting her up in the air. "Ah!" She giggled frantically as Mark held her tightly to him, kissing the curve in her neck.

"Hey now! No sneak attacks!" Loud bubbly laughter erupted from her full lips. God she was so goddamn sexy when she was playful. Mark buried his face in her hair, grinning like some love struck teenager.

"Oh yeah?" He teased. He spun her around in a circle, and flung her into the water, making her squeal with delight. When she emerged again, she immediately started to splash water in his face over and over. "Little girl, you're gonna pay for that!" He laughed playfully as he sputtered water. Cassie frantically waded out of the way in an attempt to escape his grasp, but her efforts were futile to his long reach. Especially when he cornered her against the dock.

"Oh no ya don't!" Mark growled as he pulled her into his arms, twisting her around to face him.

Cassie could not for the life of her stop laughing. It was infectious laughter, Mark thought smiling. When she finally opened her eyes she looked directly into his, and her breath caught in her throat.

Mark could see the desire sparkling in her eyes. The way her drenched hair fell framing her face and droplets of water were rolling off her rosy cheeks and nose, everything about her was beautiful.

He bent his head toward her, capturing her lips in a hungry kiss. This was most likely the first in two days he had kissed her, since he let her have Saturday to herself and they both were busy working and whatnot. Two days without her luscious lips, and he felt as if he'd been struck by a bolt of lightening. Immediately he deepened the kiss, moving his hands to her rump to pull her closer to him. On instinct her legs wrapped around his waist as she snaked her arms around his neck. Reluctantly he pulled away for air to look her in the eye. "Cass…is this okay?" He smirked at her. "You're not gonna get spooked again, are ya?" His voice was a husky whisper.

She was breathing hard and nodded fiercely in approval, taking his face in her hands and dragging his lips back to hers.

Her ass felt so good in his hands, he thought grinning against her lips. Over and over he traced the seam of her lips with his tongue before demanding his entrance. Cassie let out something similar to a mewing noise as she opened her mouth to him. Oh god, he thought. He wanted, no _needed_ to hear that sound again. For the rest of his life, like it was the air he needed to breathe. He plundered her mouth like a man dying of thirst and she was the only source of salvation. One large hand moved up and down her thigh while the other explored upward, feeling the smooth wet skin of her back as she arched into him. Slowly and carefully he fumbled with the tie at the back of her bikini top, undoing the knot till her top fell away and spilt her breasts out to him like a feast.

Again he shifted her in his arms, pulling her up for easier access as he bent his head to devour soft globes. Her legs tightened around his waist as her hands fisted into his hair.

Cassie gasped as he took care to put equal attention to each breast, suckling and nibbling. She began to squirm against him, her arousal and desire pouring off of her in waves. She had never felt anything so incredible in her life. That kiss was like being electrocuted with pleasure, and now this onslaught upon her chest was bringing a whole new sensation she didn't even know to exist. Her body was shuddering anxiously with nerves. She was so afraid and at the same time she wanted more of this man. He wanted him to do everything to her. To love her madly. Her fingers remained intwined in his damp hair, unsure of where else she was allowed to roam. Or even _if_ she wasallowed. She understood they were both adults but she didn't want to do something he didn't like or push over boundaries without his permission. Maybe Mark didn't like being touched. Maybe he liked to be in control. Maybe only certain places were free ground. Maybe-

Mark was a little disgruntled, but throughout this day a part of him was starting to understand that Cassie was the kind of girl that needed direction. He didn't quite notice it before because he was always taking the reigns or there was always a set plan in place. But when it came to sudden things on the spot, improvising, she became a little lost. Perhaps she needed a gentle push to get her on her way.

"Feel me, baby girl," Mark whispered against her lips.

Obviously she didn't need to be told twice. Furiously she told her mind to shut the fuck up and give into her instincts. Suddenly her hands were all over. Roaming over his tattooed arms, his hardened abs, down to the waist band of his boxers…

She smiled against his lips. So he wasn't totally commando down there. Such a gentleman. Of course the thin cloth that separated her fingers from his loins seemed almost non existent with his hard on pressed so prominently against her. And boy, was it large. Its presence alone made her heart pound with anxiety, thinking back to the last night they got this far. Just how far was this going to progress?

Christ, she worried too much.

Immediately she pushed every doubt and worry into the far recesses of her brain. Nibbling on his bottom lip she started to grind her hips against his. Mark groaned and nearly lost his balance in the water, one hand leaving her soft body to grapple onto the dock for support. Delicately her fingers slipped under the waistband of his boxers, grazing down his hard hips with her fingernails and drifting towards the hardness in the front. Hesitantly she took a breath, before firmly grasping him in her hands.

Mark's whole body stiffened as he let out a low groan. "You sure love playing with fire, don't you?" He growled as he tightened his grip on her and started to carry her out of the water. Cassie released her hold on him with a giggle as she wrapped her arms around his neck once more. He walked them over to the blanket and pushed their clothes out of the way before laying her down on the ground. His eyes drifted over her body, pausing at her exposed breasts and finally stopping at the pleasure center hiding beneath her swim bottoms. His olive eyes looked back into hers, desire spilling from them. "Cassie," He whispered huskily. "You have to be absolutely sure this is what you want. If you want this to stop, just tell me, and we'll go home."

Her head was swimming with ecstasy and anticipation as she stared into his eyes. "I want this." Her voice was a strained gasp.

One quick nod and his lips were quickly on hers once more, their tongues tangling together in a wild dance. No patch of her skin was left unattended under the care of his calloused, gentle hands. With his tongue he began to trace a path from her jaw downwards as he found her breasts once more, one hand taking hold of one globe while his mouth attended to the other. Cassie mewed again, driving him further into a state of painful hardness. He groaned as her hands darted into his hair, tangling into his short damp locks. Mark's free hand trailed downwards as he carefully pulled her swim bottoms away. Gently with one digit he tested her core, finding her wet with desire, drawing a moan from her lips. Her hips raised up to his finger in need.

"Mark," She gasped. He looked up at her briefly, the look in his eyes made her mind numb struggling for words. "…birth…control…" her voice was a breathy whisper.

He froze. "…You're on it?" He was thankful that she thought of it now. The fuck was wrong with him for not thinking about it sooner?

Cassie nodded. Mark let out a breath he had no idea he was holding and pulled away to discard his boxers. One look at Cassie made him smile, seeing her mossy green eyes take in their fill of his throbbing manhood. They were wide with innocence and surprise at his size.

It was fascinating, finally seeing one for the first time. She was surprised to find herself not shying away from it, and he was definitely bigger than she thought.

Mark bent back down and with one hand spread her legs, fitting himself comfortably between them. He looked back into her eyes and saw all the love in the world. The same love he saw the night she sang karaoke. The same love he saw the morning they made pancakes together. The same love he saw every endless night over coffee. The same love the very first night she spoke to him.

Her arms came around his neck once more, pulling his lips to hers. Cassie moaned as slowly he shifted himself into her opening, being careful not to hurt her as eased himself out only to invade her again and again to get her used to his size. Mark pushed himself deeper and deeper into her core until with one hard thrust he had fully sheathed himself in her warmth, breaking the cusp of her innocence. Cassie cried out and with one look he saw her eyes pursed shut to keep the tears away as she groaned with pain.

"You alright?" Mark murmured into her ear, stilling his movements. "It's going to be okay, baby girl."

Her eyes were still closed but he felt her hands graze down his hard chest, over every muscle and crease on his body. One roll of her hips and Mark groaned, taking that as the go ahead as he slowly began to thrust into her. Cassie's mouth fell to the nape of his neck where she began to suck and nip at his skin while her hands continued to explore his body. He steadily moved in her with long, slow strokes until the both of them were on the brink of climax.

"Cassie you feel so good…" His voice was like a deep bass, shaking the very core of her spine with every hot dirty word he growled to her. Intoxicating sensations washed over her as she called out for him. Oh, how she loved to listen to him talk like that.

Mark could feel himself as well as Cassie close to the edge, and almost in desperation he quickened his pace. The frantic moans and mews coming from Cassie were driving him nuts and all he wanted was release.

Cassie was so filled with him. So filled with delight. So filled with love for this man. Desperately she begged him to help her over the point of no return.

With one last thrust the both of them were pushed into pleasure filled oblivion, crying out for one another. Their bodies shuddered with overwhelming sensation, mingled together as one being.

Cassie had never felt anything so wonderful in her entire life. The love she felt for this man was overwhelming. She watched Mark as the shaking in his body slowly subsided while he came down from the blissful high of ecstasy, panting heavily. As he removed himself from her Mark laid down beside her body, stretching out like a cat in the sun. One large arm came around her waist and pulled her tightly against him so she laid on her back and he was pressed up against her side. Her gaze turned up to him, studying his face. Mark looked to be sleeping, so relaxed, so at peace.

He opened an eye to peek at her. "Cat nap. Sleep, darlin."

She snorted. "You expect me to sleep naked in the sun out in the open?"

"Private property darlin. Nobody's gonna find us out here." He mumbled. "Plus sleeping in the nude is something you're gonna have to get used to."

She quirked an eyebrow at him, grinning. "Is that so?"

"You better believe it." Mark growled playfully in her ear, tightening his grip on her waist. "You stay with me and you'd be taking your clothes off an awful lot. Better if ya just keep 'em off."

Cassie's face flushed red, as she buried it in his chest. "Ah jeez. You're such a goof ball."

Mark chuckled. "Rest, little girl."

With that she closed her eyes but was finding it difficult to try and sleep with the sun glaring overhead. Perhaps she would just lay here and enjoy his presence. Ah well, she thought, smiling and snuggling closer to him.

Mark knew he should be scared. He knew exactly what he saw in her eyes, and it worried him that he was unable to reciprocate those feelings for her just yet. He wasn't ready to be tied down, no. Hell seeing these emotions when he first laid eyes on her should have sent him running for the hills. But instead that night he chose to sit at the bar. Place himself directly in her sights. He wondered why that was. Sure, he could blame it on some sort of external force that pulled them together, but to put it simply he was just unwilling to admit what was really going on. Mark Calaway was starting to fall for this girl.

Well no, he could admit that. What he would never admit was that intact it was love at first sight. That it was an instant attraction that drew him to this woman. And not just physically, but emotionally.

No way in hell, Mark thought. This wasn't a goddamn fairy tale. Shit like that only happened in books. But that didn't matter. What mattered was the feelings that were slowly but surely starting to grow in his heart for her.

Perhaps everything would be okay. Perhaps they would make it through together once he started touring again. Maybe life won't be so bad with Cassie by his side. Mark kissed the top of her head before closing his eyes, where the pair rested for another hour and a half.

It was around five when the two of them woke and finally got dressed again. Mark packed up their things and they had spent another hour driving back to his house. Cassie beamed at him with happiness, and he returned the smile. Their hands had never left one another since they had awoken, and for that they were pleased.

When they finally pulled into Mark's driveway he frowned at a car already parked there he didn't recognize. He pulled up right next to it and looked over at Cassie. "Stay here for a minute."

He climbed out of his truck and walked over to the porch where a familiar but unwelcome figure stood. A hand had raised to him in a greeting gesture. "Hey big guy!"

Mark frowned. "Shawn what the fuck are you doing here?"


	16. Chapter 16

EHHHH MEH GERRRRD I'M SO SORRY. July has been a fun, yet rough month. Actually this was supposed to have been done during June but lets face it, I don't even remember that month. Around the end of June when this was supposed to be due, I started a new job that was god awful and triggered a lot of pent up anxiety and depression and so I've been spending the past couple of weeks dealing with that...fun. But now everything is straightened out. That and my muse for this story was starting to fizzle. God I might need to re-subscribe to WWE network again just to binge on everything Taker. XD Anyway here you are. Again, nothing of severe importance happens. My apologies. Hopefully I can kick my booty into gear to get back into this, because I'm determined to actually finish this story. Even though the ending is still a long ways off.

* * *

Cassie sat in the passenger seat of Mark's truck, clearly star struck. Her mouth went dry in seconds as it hung open seeing her companion standing across from Shawn Michaels in the flesh. She watched the two of them converse, thinking back on when she had first met Mark. The shock this time around wasn't as intense as back then. But Shawn was definitely a as big a star as Mark in her eyes.

Shawn snorted, shaking his head. "Its a wonder how you get laid if this is how you greet the general population."

The taller of the two men growled. His eyes bore holes into Shawn. "Only to cocky mothers such as yourself. What are you doing here?"

Shifting his weight to one leg the dirty blonde folded his arms. The smile on his face betrayed the withering patience he had for this hard-headed Texan. "Oh me? I was hoping I could meet this little lady you told me about not too long ago." Peering around Mark's broad torso Shawn met Cassie's eyes. A cheeky grin crossed his face as he waggled his fingers at her.

Mark sent a glance over his shoulder, seeing even through the tinted windshield the crimson blush that crawled over his companion's face. Not milliseconds later was his large calloused hand on Shawn's throat, ready to snap it in half like the jaws of life. An animalistic snarl escaped from his lips as he pressed the smaller man to his front door with a loud thud. "Fuck off, Michaels." He leaned in rather close, bearing his teeth. "You so much as _touch_ her I will rip off that which barely makes you a man!"

"Jesus Christ, Mark!" Shawn wheezed. "I'm only playing. I'm not gonna touch the big kid's toy!"

Cassie gasped, her knuckles turning white as she gripped the dashboard for dear life. What the hell was he doing? The first thought that crossed her mind was to get out and stop the escalation. However, she had half a mind not to defy Mark's orders. And he did tell her to remain in the truck. Her blood was running cold though with anxiety and fear, much like every other confrontation she had witnessed in her life. "Let go of him, Mark…" her words mumbled off her full lips.

It was an odd sensation, the air rushing out of Mark's lungs with no reason as to why. Confusion laced his gaze as instincts told him to turn around. He did so, finding Cassie still sitting in the cab with the look of terror on her face.

"Shit." he muttered. For future reference, he noted, he had to work a little harder on reigning in his temper. Quickly he loosened his grip on Shawn's throat. "Sorry."

Shawn laughed, rubbing his neck with a gentle touch. "Its cool man. I remember your bad jealousy kick...bastard…"

With a quiet chuckle in acknowledgement he waved Cassie over to them. A visible sigh fell over her as she slunk out of the cab of the truck and wandered toward the two men. Shawn had noted her abundant shyness, as displayed by her lack of eye contact the whole way over. In fact, her gaze was glued to the ground, save for the couple of moments they flitted up to him timidly to observe what she could. Mossy green orbs glittered with innocence, making a grin pull at Shawn's face watching her. She was an adorable little thing. He didn't take Mark for a man who was about adorable, but he could see the interest.

Mark gestured to his girl. "This is Cassie Kingston. She's a big wrestling fan so I assume she already knows who the hell you are." his tone had tapered into a jealous snort. She hadn't so much as shown any sort of interest towards Shawn, and Mark still couldn't stop himself from acting like an ass.

"Its an honor to meet you." She mumbled meekly, still not meeting his eyes.

Shawn tilted his head to the side, curving a finger under her chin to lift her gaze to his. "Why thank you little one. But what'chya doing hiding your beautiful eyes like that?" The obvious flirt made Mark's brow knit into an angry frown.

Her eyes went wide in awe. She struggled to speak but failed to utter any comprehensible word, settling for a squeak instead.

The noise made Mark's head turn abruptly, baffled and even more jealous that he hadn't been able to make her do that before. Oh how he wanted to pound Shawn into dust.

Catching the look he was giving her, Shawn laughed. The sound brought Cassie back into reality. Blinking a couple of times she retreated flush to Mark's side, wrapping her hands around his large bicep tightly. In turn her companion grinned with pride as he sent a knowing look to Shawn.

The man in question muffled a laugh with closed lips, watching the two of them. "So on a more serious note, I was actually sent here by Vince."

Mark spat a curse under his breath. "Fucking figured. I only recently remembered your call from earlier this week and was planning on calling him."

The shorter Texan shrugged. "You know i'm not gonna be able to go back empty-handed, big guy."

The comment drew a scowl from Mark. He could feel Cassie tighten her grip on his arm in worry. One look showed him the sadness in her gaze. He knew she was thinking about him going back on the road. His other arm came across his body to embrace her in a hug of reassurance. "I'm not going anywhere, baby girl. Be sure of that." His words were a soft murmur in her ear that made her smile.

Mark turned back to Shawn. "He can't really expect me to drop everything and go back on the road, can he? I'm not fucking doing it."

A breeze caught the three of them, making the only female shiver. Although dried off from the earlier events in the day, her hair was still damp and she was left slightly chilled. "Um…" Cassie mumbled in a burst of courage. "Do you want to come in for coffee or something?"

Surprised, Shawn glanced between the two of them. He watched Mark's gaze soften from disgruntled to gentle as he silently nodded in approval. Perhaps this little girl had him by the balls, he thought with a smile. "Sure, hun. I'd love some."

The tall red-head frowned at the endearment but said nothing as he moved to unlock the door. As the three of them entered, Cassie swiftly moved to the kitchen and went about making coffee. The two men planted themselves in the tall chairs at the kitchen countertop.

"So y'all look like you've had a busy day." Shawn spoke up to drum about some small talk. He noted their sun kissed skin and still damp as well as slightly distraught hair.

Cassie's mind went to her and Mark's sexual acts earlier and blushed immensely. But she kept her face hidden from the other two. Her companion, oblivious to her reaction, nodded. Mind also pulling to such sensual acts forced him to fight off the shit-eating grin that threatened his lips. "Went fishing today. Brought in a decent haul if you wanna join us for dinner."

Two mugs were placed down for each man. Cassie leaned over, kissing Mark's cheek. Her gaze moved to Shawn and he could see a bright, expectant look in her gaze. She was more than thrilled at the thought of a superstar joining them for a meal.

Shawn laughed. "Suppose I can't turn that down."

Cassie beamed. Taking Mark's hand in hers she gave it a squeeze. "I'm gonna take a shower and lay down for a bit, okay? Then we can get started on food."

He nodded, dismissing her with a smile. As soon as she was out of sight he grumbled, hand moving to scratch his neck. "I can't leave this, Shawn. I can't leave her. Not when I'm finally getting my shit together."

A shrug was his friend's response. "You could always take her with."

Mark shook his head. "We ain't quite close enough for that yet. Shit like that's a commitment, remember? Besides, she likes it here." A deep sigh escaped his lips. "But she's growing on me. Cassie…is like a breath of fresh air. Just what the doctor ordered to put me back on the right track."

Shawn gauged him with a knowing smile. "You love her, huh?" Surprise graced him when Mark didn't even cringe at the mere mention of the L-word. Was this truly Mark Calaway? The man was never one for commitment. Even in the past his marriages seemed sham-worthy.

The big man shrugged. "Maybe I do." His voice quieted some, as if unveiling his deepest darkest secret. A prideful smile crossed Shawn's face at the thought. The two of them had a tendency to butt heads every once in a while, and Mark always talked shit about wanting to kill Shawn sometimes. Though at the end of the day there was a stronger, silent bond of understanding between the two of them. Neither of them would deny it either. "Something is definitely there. I'm not quite sue what it is, but its got me with no intentions whatsoever of leaving that girl's side so long as I can stay here. Which is why I'm staying."

Shawn sighed, leaning back in his chair with hands folded behind his head. Vince wasn't going to be happy about that. "Did you have a different idea in mind then, big man?"

Mark folded his hands and leaned over the counter top. As much as working for this business aggravated him, he still loved the hell out of it. Mark understood it and the stress involved in keeping it alive. Vince was a good guy and meant well…and treated him right. That's why Mark always stayed loyal to him and the company. And when shit like this happened such as a leave of absence, Mark would always be thinking ahead as to how he could smoothly leave and come back without confusing or disappointing the fans. Put less hassle on his boss and in turn kept himself in good standing. "I'm thinking of coming back for Wrestlemania. Give my knee a little more time to recover and gives me three more months with my girl."

"Wrestlemania?" His friend offered him a frown. "No build up? You really think Vince will go for it?"

"Psh," Mark paused to take a sip of coffee. "Build up for the dead man hasn't ever been a hard thing to do. And I won't even need to be there for it."

Shawn's eyebrows shot up. "The old gimmick is coming back? What about the 'american badass'?"

"Having to give up the biker persona isn't my favorite thing in the world, I'll admit. But it'll keep the gimmick fresh and appeal to nostalgia. People love the shit out of that. In a sense…" Mark stared at his cup, thinking back to what he and Cassie had talked about during one of their movie nights. "The biker was the human persona of the undead character. He simply died when buried by his brother Kane. But now the Undertaker will rise again as the undead phenom he always has, realizing his true power was only achieved after welcoming death."

Shawn was savoring his black caffeinated drink. "That…makes a lot of sense, actually. I'll make sure to let Vince know. Maybe then he won't get his panties in a bunch when I come back empty-handed."

Mark let out a loud laugh and clapped his friend on the back. "Good. Listen, I need to head upstairs and shower. You need a place to crash for the night?"

The smaller texan shrugged, staring at his cup. "I was going to head back into town and grab a motel for the night. Have a flight out tomorrow evening." His comment elicited a smile from his friend.

"Nonsense, Shawn. You're more than welcome to stay here. I've got a spare room for ya."

"I don't know, man…" Shawn mumbled, rubbing the back of his head. "I'd hate to impose."

After a moment's thought Mark nudged Shawn in the ribs. "Tell you what, I'll let you stay if you help me whip up some of that damn good beer batter fish fry everybody loves. Hm? I'm sure Cassie would really love ya for it."

Shawn laughed. "Well damn buddy, if you're sure. Its a done deal."

"Sure I'm sure. Oh, and take any one of the guest rooms upstairs." With one last clap on his friend's back Mark retreated upstairs. He paused at Cassie's door and opened it as quietly as he could, unprepared for the sight he would find.

Mark spotted her discarded clothes she wore earlier in the day in a pile on the floor not too far from her bed. Cassie herself was resting on the plush comforter curled into a fetal position, garbed in a black t-shirt that sported a batman symbol on the front which hugged her upper torso nicely, and black cotton underwear. Her blond hair was stick straight and hair short of damp, pulled into a loose ponytail as she rested. Mark could hear her soft breathing from where he stood, not wanting to disturb her sleep. But damned if he could help the hard on he got seeing her like this, he thought with a smirk.

Closing the door behind him Mark padded over to the bed. Kneeling softly onto the mattress he bent over and kissed her on the cheek once, twice, and a third time before tracing a path down the curve of her neck with his tongue. He paused to nibble on the patch of bare skin, his fingers sliding past the hem of her t-shirt to memorize the feel of the silken smooth skin of her stomach. He brushed her ribs lightly, making her shudder. Cassie had begun to stir awake, producing a sound akin to a purr and pleasure-filled moan.

The noise only drove Mark further, letting his hands drift down to cup her bottom in his palms. Now fully aware of his presence, Cassie's left hand started to drift under his shirt, her fingernails grazing his broad back. Her other free hand came up to his auburn hair, tangling itself in his soft semi-long locks as she moved to bite lightly on his earlobe. She soothed the bite with a lick of her tongue before pulling away with a heated pant.

"How rude," She mumbled softly, the playful tone in her voice was hard to miss and made Mark smile. "I was napping, you know."

Mark grinned at her, noting the position they had found themselves in. He was nestled comfortably between her legs, propping himself on his forearms so their faces were mere inches apart.

"My bad," Mark growled. "Try not to look so damn beautiful next time."

She giggled as the blush crawled up her neck. She gave him a gratuitous squeeze before pushing lightly against his chest. "I'll keep that in mind. Go shower, you goob."

Mark made a face. "A goob, huh?" Finally he brushed her lips with a kiss before reluctantly drawing away from her body that had warmed considerably with desire. "Alright…if you insist." He feigned hurt in his voice as he walked into the guest bathroom. Cassie had chuckled quietly, prompting him to give her one last look and find her sitting up on her knees, watching him with a sparkle in her eye. He groaned. She was asking for it, sitting like that, he thought, ignoring the way his hardness had twitched with the thought of burying himself in her. "Little one you're gonna kill me." With that he briskly closed the door.

Cassie fell back onto the bed in a fit of stifled giggles, in fear that Mark may have still been eavesdropping from the other side of the door. She wasn't exactly sure why he was in the guest bathroom rather than his own, but wasn't about to question it. She nuzzled back into one of the down pillows, finding sleep once more as her last thoughts had been of the day's wonderful adventure.

When Mark had finished and dried off he wrapped a towel around his waist and came out of the room, giving a passing glance to his companion who had fallen asleep once more. He smiled and shook his head as he went to his own room to grab some clothes. Judging by the hunger he himself felt, he imagined Cassie was much the same and decided to get to work on dinner.

Lazy day, he thought pulling on a white t-shirt and grey gym shorts, Barefoot he padded back down the stairs to find Shawn had moved to the back porch, still with coffee in hand and watching the sun hang low on the horizon.

"Ya hungry?" Mark peered through the glass door and rumbled out. Shawn turned back to his friend with a smile.

"You bet. One can not live on meager gas station food forever."

With a laugh the tall red head stepped onto the porch. "Alright, well we need to run to the store and pick up ingredients and such. You gotta come with me to tell me what to get."

"Yeah yeah okay." As Mark grabbed his keys the two men headed out to his truck.

—

Mark had to admit, it was a pleasant outing. Shawn had been out on retirement for a good while and since he had returned the two of them hadn't had a chance to really hang out like the old days. Hell, he had almost forgotten how much he appreciated Shawn's company when the rest of the kliq wasn't around. Without Hunter to egg him on to do something stupid or stroke his ego, he was more civil and subdued in a way, much like Mark. This was even more so when he had returned from retirement and found himself spiritually enlightened or whatnot.

Through their whole adventure they chatted about many things, about what Mark had missed at the company in his absence, about Shawn's amusing hunting stories, about his new outdoors television show he was starting with a friend.

"And you're gonna do that along with wrestling too?"

Shawn nodded. "I'll only be doing brief appearances on my friend's show every now and then. I'll make it work somehow. I've got a good feeling about it man, you know?"

Mark smiled as he pulled back into his drive. "Sounds like a good time. I'll have to tune in some day. Watch you make a real ass of yourself."

Both men laughed as they climbed out of the truck and unloaded the groceries. When everything was put into the kitchen Mark spotted Cassie sitting out on the back porch, gaze focused on broad expanse of land beyond the pond. With a smile he turned back to the food, setting about cleaning the corn cobs they bought to grill.

About an hour later Shawn was in the midst of frying the last of the fish. Mark brought in the steaming plate of grilled corn. Cassie was setting the table, pouring iced tea for each of them. Her nose wrinkled in protest against the scent of the cooked corn.

Mark caught a glimpse of her adorably distraught face. "Something the matter darlin?"

"Corn smells so weird when its cooked." her comment made both men chuckle. With the table all set she moved to sit at the island counter top, watching Shawn. "So where'd you learn to fry fish? I took most texans for grilling kind of men."

Shawn smiled as he pulled out another crispy fillet before throwing in another raw piece. "I do love grilling. But I have some friends from your neck of the woods I would visit from time to time. They gave me one of their batter recipes. I have a cabin up north you see,"

Cassie's eyebrows shot up. "Yeah? Whereabouts?"

"About an hour and a half north of Duluth. I like to go there to try my hand at ice fishing."

"Huh…" Cassie was stupefied by the idea that Shawn Michaels was most likely within driving distance the whole time she was in college. "Weird. You actually come for the winters, huh?" She finished her last comment with a laugh.

The man's laugh was more like a happy bellow. "Yeah…as much as the cold makes me want to rip my hair out from time to time, the fishing is still fun. And rather cozy…I come up for the summers time to time as well. They're pretty beautiful up there."

"I hear that." A smile graced her lips. Mark got a warm feeling in his chest watching the two of them interact with a smirk.

"You know, if ya'll ever need, you're more than welcome to use the cabin if you'd ever like to get away. Out of the heat, yeah?"

The smile on Mark's face only grew bigger. It was short lived though as he looked to Cassie. She eyed the counter with a small frown and faraway look in her eyes. He reached for her hand, grazing the back of it with his thumb. "Sounds like fun, huh darlin?"

She snapped out of her stupor, gracing him with a smile. "Of course. Maybe when you get a show around the area I can fly up and meet you for vacation sometime."

He grinned and gave her hand a squeeze. It was forced though as he couldn't shake her distressed look from his mind. He pushed it aside for now, making a note to ask about it later when Shawn hoisted up the plate of fried fish.

"Alright. Who's ready to eat?"

Cassie squealed with delight before moving to the fridge to remove some condiments. Mark sat down and quirked an eyebrow when he saw the ketchup bottle. "You have ketchup with your fish darlin?"

She nodded her head fiercely. "Its the best!" Both men smiled at her childish enthusiasm as the remaining had taken their seats and they dug into the food.

With her fork Cassie carefully dug into her fish. She hadn't had bass before. Shawn and Mark watched expectantly as she popped a piece in her mouth. A pleased sigh emitted from her as the fish practically melted in her mouth, the flaky crunch of the breading complimenting nicely. The taste was impeccable. "Oh Shawn, this is so good!"

Said man grinned cheekily. "I knew you'd love it." With a wink he returned to his food.

Cassie had devoured the grilled corn as well, complimenting both men so much so that Mark found his face flushed with pride. The sight made Shawn laugh, seeing as Mark was never a man to blush.

She was thoroughly enjoying this evening, spending her time in the company of two men who she both greatly appreciated. The men went back and forth telling her all sorts of backstage stories in the company. Most of them quite comedic, and some near unbelievable.

"So I gotta know," Cassie spoke eagerly. "Mark did you really threaten Shawn to put over Stone Cold?"

"You bet your ass I did!" Her companion roared with a laugh. "Wasn't gonna let this pompous bastard ruin shit for everyone. I mean see how well Austin came out in the end? I taped up my fists and told Shawn I would beat the ever living shit out of him if he didn't do it clean! Didn't give two fucks about how valued he was in the company. Left him shaking in his damn boots!"

Shawn blushed. "I wasn't _that_ scared of you, asshole." his sheepish reply made Cassie giggle. "Hey Deadman, remember when Stephanie had that crush on you?"

Mark's face flushed red, seemingly caught off guard. Cassie's mouth fell open as she dropped her fork, letting it fall to the table with a clatter. "Really?" her voice was far from scorned, but rather genuinely curious.

With a sigh Mark nodded.

"But what about Hunter?"

The redhead snorted. "My idea. From what I'm told she's had the hots for me since I came into the company. Rumor mill has it that she sweet talked her dad into that ministry storyline where I kidnapped her and tried to marry her just so she could be close to me. I was in-between marriages at the time so she thought she stood a chance." Mark shook his head. "Stupid kid…"

"Then one night Mark gets a little too drunk and indulges in her fantasies…" Shawn added. Mark shot daggers at the man with his eyes.

A slight frown flashed across Cassie's face, but stayed only a moment. Mark caught it, worrying slightly about her reaction. "She got over you eventually, I'd assume?" With that Shawn laughed.

"Yeah by requesting to the boss the most goddamn ridiculous storyline for her and Hunter."

Cassie stared at Mark incredulously. "The kidnapping and marriage was your idea?" He couldn't help the slight twinge of a smirk that pulled at the corner of his mouth.

"Yup."

"Wow…aren't you cunning." Cassie laughed, making Mark sigh in relief. Both men watched her stifle a yawn. It seemed that much more time had passed than they thought.

"Alright, darlin." Mark huffed, rising from his seat. "I think its time we turn in, huh? You gotta get to work in the morning."

A groan fell from Cassie's lips as she stretched. "But I'm having too much fun." Contradicting her statement, she stood up anyway and started gathering the dishes. Joining Mark over at the sink she dried the dishes as he washed them. Shawn had moved to sit at the island countertop facing the two of them.

"So tell me, Cass. What got you into wrestling?" Shawn smiled, taking a sip of coffee.

The blonde woman grinned at him. "As kids my brothers were always watching it. They kinda grew out of it eventually but my dad always stayed a big fan. I'd watch all the pay-per-views with him." To emphasize she nudged her companion with her elbow.

"Suppose I don't need to ask who's your favorite then?"

Cassie wrapped an arm around Mark's waist, moving to her tiptoes to plant a kiss on his cheek. "Well if it wasn't already obvious," Shawn laughed.

Mark pressed a kiss to her golden hair and spared a look of adoration at her. An abnormal occurrence for the man, it was short lived but both Shawn and Cassie had caught it.

Shawn was probably the most surprised. Love had to be the most out of character emotion when it came to Mark. Sure, he had noticed it earlier in the evening but a part of him figured he was just blowing smoke out of his ass for shock value. But right before his eyes…it seemed to be true. Mark Calaway was falling in love.


End file.
